Wednesday, January 31, 2018
How to Live Stream Your PC Gameplay With Windows 10’s Mixer
Windows 10’s Creators Update added a new live game-streaming feature. You can broadcast your gameplay in real time to your friends without any additional software.
Geek Trivia: The Medical Condition “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome” Derives Its Name From?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
How to Add Phonetic Names to Contacts on the iPhone
Siri, like Google Assistant, can struggle with pronouncing your friends’ names, especially if there are silent letters or odd combinations. But there’s a way to fix that.
What’s the Difference Between Microsoft Office for Windows and macOS?
The Windows version of Microsoft Office has always been the gold standard for office suites, as far as features are concerned. Office exists on other platforms too, like the Mac—but those versions are missing some products and features.
Google Flights Will Now Tell You If Your Flight Is Likely to Be Delayed
The very last thing you want to find out after you rush through security at the airport is that your flight has been delayed.
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How to Stream From VLC to Your Chromecast
VLC’s developers have been working on Chromecast support for some time, and it’s finally available…sort of. It still hasn’t made it to the stable release of VLC yet, but if you run the bleeding edge nightly builds on Windows, you can stream video and audio files from VLC media player on your PC to your Chromecast.
What Are “Right to Repair” Laws, and What Do They Mean for You?
Ever wonder why it’s so difficult to repair a smartphone, computer, or game console yourself? It’s no accident: companies make them that way. But thanks to “Right to Repair” legislation, it could get a lot easier to tinker with your electronic toys.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
How to Control Your Amazon Echo from Anywhere Using Your Phone
If your Amazon Echo can’t hear you from the other room, or if you just want to control it when you’re away from home altogether, you can do so with the Amazon app (on iOS) or the Alexa app (on Android).
Geek Trivia: The First Handheld Game System To Use Interchangeable Cartridges Was The?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
How Do YouTube Channels Make Money?
Most people are aware that popular YouTube channels make money, but it’s not immediately obvious how. And there’s a reason for that: the answer isn’t straightforward.
How to Take Screenshots of Your PC Games
Ever wish you could grab an image of what you’re seeing in that beautiful new video game? Well you can—in fact, some tools even let you pause the game and take a screenshot using a free-moving, in-game camera.
How to Play Wii and GameCube Games on your PC with Dolphin
Ever wish you could play Wii and GameCube games on your PC? Just like your favorite retro systems, there’s an emulator that can do the job, and it’s called Dolphin.
Change Your Smartphone Case Like You Change Your Clothes
We wear different clothes for different activities and we use different tools for different tasks, but for some reason the majority of us use t…
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How to Stream Your PC Gameplay With NVIDIA GeForce Experience
NVIDIA’s GeForce Experience software has a built-in game streaming feature. If you have NVIDIA graphics hardware, you don’t need any additional software to stream on Twitch, Facebook Live, or YouTube Live.
Are Third Party Camera Lenses Worth Buying?
When people buy a Canon or Nikon camera, they often assume that they can only buy Canon or Nikon lenses. But that isn’t true. While Nikon lenses won’t work on your Canon camera, there are third-party lens manufacturers—such as Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Samyang (also sold as Rokinon), Opteka, Yongnuo and Zeiss—that make lenses for Canon, Nikon, and sometimes Sony and other cameras. But are they any good?
Do You Realize How Much You Share Your Location?
This app is tracking your every move!—a hyperbolic headline I’m sure we’ve all seen before. While the sentiment here is a over-the-top, it does raise an important question: do you know how private your location actually is?
Monday, January 29, 2018
How Difficult Is It to Replace an iPhone Battery?
With iPhone owners rushing to get their batteries replaced, wait lists at the Apple Genius Bar have been getting longer and longer. But if you don’t want to wait, you can actually replace the battery yourself.
Geek Trivia: Which Of These Fruits Contains A Powerful Natural Meat Tenderizer?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
What Is the “commerce” Process, and Why Is It Running on My Mac?
There’s a process called “commerce” running on your Mac right now. You can find it using Activity Monitor, but with a generic name like that, how are you supposed to know what it’s doing?
Save 10% on Instacart by Opting Out of the Service Fee
InstaCart automatically tacks on a 10% “Service Fee” to every order you place, but you can actually opt-out of this fee to save 10% on every InstaCart order you place.
Elon Musk’s $500 Flamethrower Probably Shouldn’t Be Used For Crème Brûlée
Elon Musk is perhaps best known as the guy who made those awesome electric cars, and slightly less as one of the guys who invented PayPal.
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Don’t Bother with a Dedicated 4K Blu-ray Player, Buy an XBox One Instead
If you’ve recently purchased a 4K TV, it’s natural that you want to enjoy stunning content on it.
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How to Automatically Mute New Tabs in Chrome and Firefox
Let’s say you’re trying to be quiet, browsing the internet at home, work, or a public space. You’re secretly filled with dread that anything you click will open a new tab with an autoplay video or blare an obnoxious audio ad. End that fear forever by keeping all your new tabs muted by default.
How to Add Phonetic Names to Contacts in Android (So Google Assistant Can Understand You)
As great as Google Assistant is, it’s not always the best at pronouncing people’s names. Fortunately, you can add phonetic names to improve voice recognition.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Geek Trivia: Leafcutter Ants Don’t Eat Leaves, But Use The Leaves To?
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How to Avoid Malware on Android
Android may have a more open platform than Apple, but with that comes the potential for malware. Google is trying to take steps to correct it with things like Google Play Protect, but it’s still out there. WIth a little bit of care, though, it’s pretty easy to keep your phone safe and malware-free.
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Geek Trivia: Ben Franklin Wasn’t Just A U.S. Founding Father, But The Founder Of Modern?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
The Best Apps and Tools for Chromebooks
You have a shiny new Chromebook and you want to make the most of it. Good! Despite popular belief, Chromebooks are in fact excellent productivity machines—especially once you find the proper tools for the job at hand.
Friday, January 26, 2018
How to Connect the Nest Secure to a New Wi-Fi Network
If you ever change your Wi-Fi password or the name of the network, you’ll also need to connect your Nest Secure security system to that new network. Luckily, it’s really easy.
Geek Trivia: The Largest Sea Plane Ever Built Was The?
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Want Better Workplace Focus? Listen to a Video Game Soundtrack
Want a little productivity boost to get through your Friday (and every day after it, for that matter)?
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How to Make LibreOffice Writer Templates
Templates let you configure all the relevant settings you want pre-applied to documents—font settings, margins and tabs, boilerplate text, and so on. You just open the template and save it under a new name to get a jump start on a new document.
Roav VIVA Review: Kick Siri to the Curb and Make Alexa Your New Copilot
Alexa, thanks to the popularity of the Echo, might have a firm standing in millions of homes but outside the house Siri and Google Assistant sti…
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How to Fix Android MMS Issues on Cricket Wireless
If you’re on Cricket Wireless and use an Android phone, there’s a reasonably decent chance you could be having issues receiving MMS messages (aka picture and video messages). Fortunately, there’s a quick and easy fix…now that we’ve actually figured out what’s going on here.
What’s the Difference Between the iPad, iPad Pro, and iPad Mini?
Apple’s iPad line has gotten pretty hefty, between the 12.9-inch and 10.5-inch iPad Pro, the (blandly named) iPad, and the iPad Mini 4. They range from $329 all the way up to $1279. So what’s the difference between all these models? Let’s take a look.
Cheap Windows Laptops Will Only Waste Your Time and Money
You get what you pay for. And, while you will save money in the short term by buying a cheap Windows laptop, you’ll pay for it in time, frustration, and ultimately money when you have to pay to replace or fix the laptop after it breaks.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
How to Fix Annoying Nest Secure Notifications
Depending on how you have Nest’s Home/Away Assist feature set up, you might be receiving notifications to set you alarm even if you’re still home. Here’s how to fix it.
Geek Trivia: The First Cartoon Aired With Stereo Sound Was?
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What Is nsurlstoraged, and Why Is It Running on my Mac?
You’re browsing the applications running using Activity Monitor when you notice something you don’t recognize: nsurlstoraged. What is this, you might be wondering, and why is it using network and CPU resources? First, don’t panic: this is part of macOS.
How to Read Comic Books and Manga on Your Kindle
The iPad has been toted as the ultimate comic book reader, but that doesn’t mean your can’t give it a run for its money with your Kindle. Here’s how to optimize and transfer your comic books and manga to your Kindle.
How to Check Your Apple Pencil’s Battery Level
Your Apple Pencil doesn’t have any sort of light that indicates its battery level. If you want to check how much battery power it has left, you’ll need to use a widget on your iPad Pro.
The Best Portable Chargers For Every Need
If you’re lucky your phone can last a full day before you need to reach for a power cable.
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How to Make Google Home Use Your Netflix Profile Based on Your Voice
Asking Google Home to play a certain show or movie on Netflix was one of the earliest features available on the platform, but there was always one glaring issue: it always played from the primary profile, regardless of who executed the command. Now, that changes.
What Are Samsung’s Micro LED TVs, and How Are They Different from OLED?
At the top of the television market, you have two big players: Samsung and LG. Sure, there are other brands making high-end sets, and competition among budget TVs is fierce and varied. But it’s safe to say that the two South Korean giants have the high end of the market locked down, at least in terms of technical prowess for picture quality.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
How to Set Up the TP-Link Wi-Fi Smart Plug
TP-Link’s Wi-Fi Smart Plug is a fairly popular option for those looking to turn lamps and fans on from their phones, especially since it’s regularly on sale and was even a part of Amazon’s Echo deals over the holidays. Here’s how to set it up.
Geek Trivia: The Name of Google’s Short-Lived “Wave” Collaboration Framework Was Inspired By Which Sci-Fi Show?
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Google Home Won’t Mix Up Your Family’s Netflix Profiles Anymore
You can use Google Assistant to play movies and TV shows from Netflix on your Chromecast.
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How to Add Sideheads and Pull Quotes to Microsoft Word Documents
Sideheads (where a document’s subheads appear out to the side of the text) and pull quotes are really just two specific uses for text boxes in Microsoft Word. Here’s how to set them up.
7 Gadgets Under $50 That’ll Improve Your Kitchen Experience
You can get by in the kitchen with very few tools, but what’s the fun in that?
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What Is Apple’s W1 Chip?
It’s taken a while, but Bluetooth headphones and earbuds are finally good. Manufacturers have solved most of the problems associated with them, like bad battery life, poor audio, and Bluetooth’s (notorious) connection problems—and Apple’s W1 chip improves Bluetooth even more.
What Is 5G, and How Fast Will It Be?
You couldn’t escape the 5G hype at CES 2018. Everyone—from Samsung and Intel to cellular carriers and smartphone companies—wants you to know how amazing 5G will be. Samsung called it “wireless fiber”, promising super-fast low latency internet everywhere. 5G is supposed to be faster than a typical home cable internet connection today…and it’s wireless, too.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Don’t Worry, Amazon Echo Alarms Still Work Without Internet
The Amazon Echo works great as a bedside alarm clock, especially if you have an Echo Spot (which is pretty much targeted for that very purpose). However, if you’re worried that your alarm won’t go off when the Wi-Fi goes down, there’s actually nothing to worry about.
Geek Trivia: In British Culture, An “Agony Aunt” Dispenses?
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How to Find Your Android Device’s Info for Correct APK Downloads
If you’ve ever tried to download an app for sideloading on your Android phone, then you know how confusing it can be. Often there are several versions of the same app designed for various device specs—so how do you know which one is the right one?
Is Now a Good Time to Buy a New NVIDIA or AMD Graphics Card?
A few years ago, people were predicting the death of PC gaming as we know it. Those people are feasting on an abundance of humble pie, as PC games remain a cornerstone of the industry: digital delivery gives us more variety than ever before, and even the relatively niche market of performance gaming hardware has never been more healthy. But even the most humble of PC gamers needs a graphics card (well, sort of), and it’s one of the most frequent upgrades gamers make. But is now a good time to buy one?
Logitech MX Ergo Review: A Worthy Heir to Logitech’s Lengthy Trackball Mouse Lineage
After years of no new trackball developments, Logitech has finally released a new wireless trackball mouse.
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What Are the Photoshop Express, Fix, Mix, and Sketch Mobile Apps?
Adobe’s approach to mobile apps seems to be “The More, The Better”. Right now, there are five Photoshop branded apps available for iOS and Android.
It’s Time to Stop Buying Phones from OnePlus
OnePlus hasn’t been making Android phones for a very long time, but over its four years in existence it has made numerous screw ups. This all finally led up to last week’s massive credit card breach. It’s time we stop trusting a company with such clearly low standards.
Monday, January 22, 2018
No Apple Store Nearby? Try an Apple Authorized Service Provider
Apple Stores aren’t the only place where you can buy Apple products and get them serviced. There are tons of other stores that also offer a similar experience, which is great for those who leave nowhere near an Apple Store.
Geek Trivia: The Largest Recorded Family Tree In The World Belongs To The Descendants Of?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
What Is Apple’s “Secure Enclave”, And How Does It Protect My iPhone or Mac?
iPhones and Macs with Touch ID or Face ID use a separate processor to handle your biometric information. It’s called the Secure Enclave, it’s basically an entire computer unto itself, and it offers a variety of security features.
Nokia Is Disabling An Important Health Tracking Feature In Its Most Expensive Smart Scale
Most smart scales are designed to track your weight and a few other related statistics over time to help you improve your overall health.
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How to Disable the Lock Sound on an iPhone or iPad
By default, Apple’s iPhones and iPads make a sound when you turn their displays off (aka when you “lock” them). You can disable this sound entirely and never hear it again, or just silence your phone if you’d rather not hear it in certain situations.
Anker’s PowerCore Speed 20000 PD Is a Beastly, Future-Proof Portable Charger
If you just need to top off your phone halfway through the day, you can buy any of a dozen portable chargers.
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What’s the Difference Between Android One and Android Go?
In 2014, Google announced a lineup of low-cost, low-spec phones called Android One. In 2017, they announced Android Go, specifically designed for low-cost, low-spec phones. So…what’s the difference?
How to See Posts From Your Favorite Facebook Pages More Often
Facebook’s News Feed algorithm is a bit of a black box. It monitors dozens of signals and (supposedly) delivers the content you want to see. Unfortunately, it rarely works like that.
How to Overclock Your Intel Processor and Speed Up Your PC
Your computer is fast. Unbelievably fast, at least compared to the PC you had ten or twenty years ago. But it could always be a little bit faster. If that statement stirs a bit of tech-flavored longing in your soul, you might want to look into overclocking your processor.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Geek Trivia: The Crowdfunded Film That Reached Its Funding Goal The Fastest Was?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
Rooting Android Just Isn’t Worth It Anymore
Back in the day, rooting Android was almost a must in order to get advanced functionality out of your phone (or in some cases, basic functionality). But times have changed. Google has made its mobile operating system so good that rooting is just more trouble than it’s worth.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Geek Trivia: Captain Kirk’s Uniform Top In Star Trek Appeared Gold On Screen, But Was Actually?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
Friday, January 19, 2018
How to Disable the Pathlight on a Nest Detect
The Nest Secure system comes with two Nest Detect devices, which are open/close sensors that can also act as motion detectors. They even have a small, motion-activated LED light (named Pathlight) that can light your way in a dark hallway. However, if that’s not something you need, you can disable Pathlight in the Nest app.
Geek Trivia: Which Of These Weather Phenomena Are Known As “St. Elmo’s Fire”?
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How to Hide Your Activity Status on Instagram
Instagram recently added a new option that allows other users to see when you were last active on the service in their direct messages. If you’re not into letting everyone on the planet know what you’re up to every minute of the day, you can disable it pretty easily.
The Best Podcast Apps For Your Smartphone
If you’re not enjoying the wealth of podcasts out there, you’re really missing out. Podcasts provide you with the experience of a ra…
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How to Share Your Work Under a Creative Commons License
Creative Commons licenses make it easy for people to share their creative works so that other people can use them for their own projects. Here’s how to release your work under a CC license.
What Is WPA3, and When Will I Get It On My Wi-Fi?
The Wi-Fi Alliance just announced WPA3, a Wi-Fi security standard that will replace WPA2. It was one of the most covertly interesting things announced at CES 2018. In a few years, when the laundry folding robots and smart fridges are forgotten, WPA3 will be everywhere making it harder for people to hack your Wi-Fi.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Ditch Your PC’s Calculator App and Use a Real One Instead
Handheld calculators don’t get as much love as they once did. That’s a damn shame, because they can be way more convenient than the calculator app on your computer.
Geek Trivia: The First Metal Group To Reach The Top Of The Billboard Charts Was?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
How to Enable Fast User Switching in macOS
If you share a Mac with family or roommates, you’re going to want to set up multiple macOS user accounts. Each account has its own documents, browser history, and saved passwords.
Nintendo Will Sell a Cardboard Piano and Mech Suit to Fulfill Your Childhood Dreams
Nintendo never does what you expect.
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Low Profile Switches Are Coming to Shrink Your Mechanical Keyboards
Mechanical keyboards are neat! But no one would say they’re sleek or compact. Even the smallest mainstream models, the “60%” boards, are about the size and weight of a paperback book. But that might be changing very soon.
Add Instant Backseat Entertainment to Your Car with a Tablet Mount
Whether you want to mount a tablet, a large phone, or even a Nintendo Switch in your car to keep your kids entertained on the road, these sturd…
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How to See Your Most Used Apps on Android
Have you ever wondered which apps consume most of your time? Sure, you can assume what you use the most, but seeing exactly what you use (and how often) can be pretty telling. The best part is that finding this info is as simple as installing an app from the Play Store.
Should You Repair Your Own Phone or Laptop?
While it can be tempting to take a crack at repairing your own laptop, phone, or tablet, there are times to do it…and times to leave it to the pros.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
How to Get the Most Out of Your Eero Mesh Wi-Fi System
For some people, a normal router works fine for their wireless needs. But if you have dead spots all around your house, you might benefit from a mesh Wi-Fi system, like the Eero. And even if you’re familiar with the Eero system, here are all the nifty things you can do with it that you may not have known about.
Geek Trivia: The Highest Grossing World War II Film Of All Time Is?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
What Is UserEventAgent, and Why Is It Running on My Mac?
You’re looking through Activity Monitor when you notice a process you’re unfamilar with: UserEventAgent. Should you be worried? No: this is a core part of macOS.
How to Report YouTube Videos and Comments
YouTube is a wild west of content. There are some great videos there, but also some truly awful ones. You can help out by reporting questionable content.
How to Hide Your Active Status on Facebook Messenger
If you use Facebook Messenger for any reason, all of your friends who also use the service can tell when you’re active. This makes it kind of hard to ignore people you don’t really want to talk to. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to hide your active status.
How to Stop the Meltdown and Spectre Patches from Slowing Down Your PC
The Windows patches for Meltdown and Spectre will slow your PC down. On a newer PC running Windows 10, you probably won’t notice. But, on a PC with an older processor—especially if it’s running Windows 7 or 8—you may see a noticeable slowdown. Here’s how to make sure your PC performs as speedily as possible after securing it.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
How to Buy Stuff at the Apple Store Without a Cashier
If you visit an Apple Store in the hopes of buying a new iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, you have to talk to an Apple employee, since all the expensive products are kept in the back. However, if it’s just an accessory you want, you can buy it without actually interacting with anyone.
Geek Trivia: In English Culture, “Bangers” Are?
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A Non-Comprehensive List of Messenger Features Facebook Could Cut
According to Facebook’s vice president of messaging product David Marcus, the Facebook Messenger app is “too cluttered.” We agree.
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Alexa, Why Is Cortana Still on My Computer?
Alexa is coming to PCs, according to numerous reports. Acer, ASUS, and Lenovo are all working on computers with Alexa support built in, meaning you’ll be able to ask your PC a question the same way you ask your Echo.
How to Use Microsoft Word’s Compare Feature
If you’re on a collaborative team of workers, or you’re simply dealing with several revisions of your own work, it’s important to be able to track incremental changes. In Microsoft Word, the ability to compare every difference in two nearly-identical documents is built in to the Compare tool. Here’s how to use it.
How to Remap an Xbox One Controller’s Buttons on Windows 10
Windows 10 now allows you to remap an Xbox One Controller’s buttons, just like you can remap the buttons on an Xbox One console. This feature is part of the Xbox Accessories app, which isn’t installed by default.
Can You Use Any Charger With Any Device?
Every device—smartphone, tablet, or laptop—seems to come with its own charger. But do you really need all these different cables and charging blocks? Can you re-use the same charger for multiple devices?
Monday, January 15, 2018
Geek Trivia: Which Soda Company Briefly Owned A Sizable Naval Fleet?
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6 Cheap Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is easily the industry standard when it comes to graphic and photo ed…
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How Much Data Does Netflix Use?
We live in an age of prolific media streaming, with services like Netflix leading the charge. At the same time, we also live in an age where capped data packages for home internet is something that many people have to deal with. If you’re one of the millions of people with a capped data package, knowing how much data Netflix actually uses is crucial.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Geek Trivia: The Direction Of Clock Hand Movement Was Determined By?
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How to Pick the Right Monitor for Your PC
If you’re like us, you spend a lot time staring at your PC monitor—so, shouldn’t it be a good one? Join us as we decode the specs and cut through the jargon to help you find the best possible monitor for your needs.
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Geek Trivia: Which Of These Bands Derives Its Name From Military Slang?
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The Best (Actually Useful) Tech We Saw at CES 2018
Ever wish you could live in a Jetsons-like future, where robots bring you beer and you could fly a car to work? Well, most of that probably won’t be real anytime soon, but CES likes to pretend it will. We hit the show floor this year so we could separate fact from fiction just for you. Here are our favorite things we saw in Vegas that you’ll actually use in the coming year or two—and a few things that were downright stupid.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Geek Trivia: Best Known For Jeans And Fashion, Which Of These Companies Now Has Significant Real Estate Holdings?
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What is mDNSResponder, And Why Is It Running On My Mac?
You’re setting up a Mac firewall, or just checking what’s running using Activity Monitor, when you notice something cryptic is running: mDNSResponder. What is this process, and should you be worried? No: this is a core part of macOS.
How to Update Your Graphics Drivers for Maximum Gaming Performance
A graphics driver is the software that allow your operating system and programs to use your computer’s graphics hardware. If you play PC games, you should keep your computer’s graphics drivers updated to get the best performance out of your hardware.
Five Fantastic Cable Organizers to Wrangle Your Messy Cables
Your desk and nightstand might be a mess of cables right now, but they don’t need to be.
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How to Find and Delete Google Assistant’s Stored Voice Data
Every time you use Google Assistant, a recording of the command is uploaded to Google—that’s how it does what it does. A copy of this recording is also stored on your Google account, unless you manually go in and remove it.
How To Quote Someone In WhatsApp
If you’re part of a WhatsApp group chat, the conversation can move fast. Set your phone down for an hour or two and you can easily come back to 100 messages. Normally this is fine, but if you’ve an important point to make or need to reply to a question from much earlier, you can’t just weigh in without confusing everyone. Enter quoting messages.
How to Overclock Your Graphics Card for Better Gaming Performance
If you want a little extra oomph out of your PC’s graphics card without spending tons of cash on a new model, overclocking the GPU is a surprisingly simple way to go about it. And it has indeed become simple, on Windows-based PCs at least—while the process is time consuming, it doesn’t require any particular knowledge or advanced skills. Here’s how you go about it.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
iOS 11.2.2 Probably Won’t Slow Down Your iPhone That Badly
Apple recently released the iOS 11.2.2 update, which is a dedicated security fix designed to address the Spectre and Meltdown CPU flaws. This has a small impact on performance on PCs, but will it slow down your iPhone, too? We benchmarked several models of iPhones to find out. The short answer? Your iPhone probably won’t slow down as much as you fear.
Geek Trivia: In Japan, Which Of These Things Are Deep Fried As An Autumn Treat?
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What to Do If You Forget Your Mac’s Password
Can’t remember your Mac’s password? Don’t worry. With the default settings, you can simply try logging into your Mac. Fail enough times and you’ll be able to reset your password with your Apple ID. But this won’t always work.
Byte Size Tips: How to See Which Groups Your Windows User Account Belongs To
RELATED: User Accounts, Groups, Permissions & Their Role in Sharing
6 Fun Educational Toys and Apps To Teach Your Kids Coding
We live in a digital age and whether your child grows up to be an actual programmer or pursues another path, the structure and logic of programm…
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How to Use Rulers in Microsoft Word
Word’s rulers let you control the margins of your page and the indentation of paragraphs. They’re great for precisely lining up images, text, and other elements. If you’re printing a document, the rulers can help ensure that what you see on your screen translates into what you’ll get on the printed page.
What To Do If Your Smartphone Is Hot
Unlike your computer, your smartphone doesn’t have fans or any other active way to keep itself cool. Instead, to keep them working within acceptable temperatures, smartphone manufacturers count on passive cooling methods and the fact that most people don’t do too many super intensive tasks with their phones.
Five Ways to Free Up Space on Your Android Device
Android phones and tablets can fill up quickly as you download apps, add media files like music and movies, and cache data for use offline. Many lower-end devices may only include a few gigabytes of storage, making this even more of a problem.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Is Apple Even Paying Attention To macOS Security Anymore?
A new Mac security flaw lets you type literally any username and password in order to unlock the Mac App Store panel in System Preferences. It’s probably not a big deal practically speaking—the panel is unlocked by default—but the fact that this issue exists at all is a worrying reminder that Apple isn’t prioritizing security like they used to.
Geek Trivia: The “COCOM Limit” Is A GPS Security Regulation That Affects Recreational?
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Mount a Windows Share in macOS and Have it Reconnect at Login
You’re not a loyalist: your network has both Windows and macOS machines. The good news is you can access your Windows shares from macOS pretty easily, if you know how.
How to See Which Groups Your Linux User Account Belongs To
RELATED: Byte Size Tips: How to See Which Groups Your Windows User Account Belongs To
How to Use Multiple Dropbox Accounts on One PC
Dropbox is the go-to service for cloud storage and file syncing, but it’s also one of the more expensive options out there once you’ve used up the free storage allotment. And you can only use multiple accounts on one machine if you spring for the pricier business package. But there are a few options for getting around this.
The Best Ways to Make Money With Your Car In the Gig Economy
Your car is an expensive investment but it doesn’t have to be a pure money suck.
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Why Do Lithium-Ion Batteries Explode?
While lithium-ion batteries are, on the whole, incredibly safe they do very very occasionally catch fire or explode. When it happens, like with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 fiasco or HP’s more recent laptop recall, it’s always big news. So what’s going on and why do batteries sometimes go out with a bang? Let’s find out.
How to Avoid Going Over Your Home Internet’s Data Cap
It’s not uncommon for internet service providers to cap the amount of data offered to home users as a way of getting them to pay more money for more bandwidth. If you find yourself within these artificial constraints set by your ISP, you have to carefully watch what you do online. Here are some tips to keep you under your cap and free from overage charges.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Geek Trivia: Pets Brought To Which Of These Companies Are Required To Sign A Non-Disclosure Agreement?
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How to Enable the Root User in macOS
Want to enable the root account on your Mac? You can, but the functionality is a little buried in System Preferences. Here’s how to find it.
What’s The Difference Between Bluetooth A2DP And aptX?
Bluetooth headphones are all the rage now, after spending the better part of a decade as a niche restricted to tech enthusiasts. Now you can find an incredible variety of Bluetooth headphones on electronic store shelves, and even more online. But as with almost all product categories, not every set of wireless headphones is created equal.
Charge Your iPhone Wirelessly with These Qi Chargers
Apple might have been late—OK, really late—to the wireless charging game, but now that the feature is here you should tota…
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How to Retrain Your Google Assistant Voice Model
There may come a time when you need to retrain your Google Assistant’s voice model—that is, the one that detects the “OK Google” command. For example, “Hey Google” recently started rolling out on phones, so you’ll need to retrain the voice model to accept this new phrase.
How to “Snooze” Someone for 30 Days on Facebook
Until now, there was no way to temporarily remove someone from your News Feed on Facebook. You could Block or Unfollow someone, but this was a permanent solution. If you wanted to see their posts again, you’d need to deliberately go back and unblock or refollow them.
How to Check if Your PC Is Protected Against Meltdown and Spectre
Warning: Even if you’ve installed patches from Windows Update, your PC may not completely protected from the Meltdown and Spectre CPU flaws. Here’s how to check if you’re fully protected, and what to do if you aren’t.
Monday, January 8, 2018
How to Get to the Old Uninstall Programs Panel on Windows 10
Windows 10 still includes the classic Uninstall Programs panel, also known as the “Programs and Features” window. But it’s buried by default, as Microsoft really wants you to use the Apps > Apps & features page in the new Settings interface instead.
Geek Trivia: The Two Grumpy Old Men From The Muppet Show Were Named After?
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How to Check if Your Linux System Is 32-bit or 64-bit
Most modern computers are capable of running a 64-bit operating system. But just because a computer supports it doesn’t mean that’s what’s running. Here’s how to tell whether you’re running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Linux.
Google Calendar Got Rid of Its Best Feature in the New Design
A few months ago, Google launched a new design for Google Calendar—and frankly, it was long overdue. Google Calendar has been using the same interface for ages, and the new one is nice and modern…except it’s missing Google Calendar’s best feature: adding events with natural language, like “Dinner with Mom at 6pm”.
The Best Switch Games to Play On the Go
The Switch is designed from the ground up with portability in mind. That doesn’t mean that all of its games are, though.
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Does Uploading Count Towards My Data Cap?
If you’re new to the whole “data cap” life—or are just trying to get a better idea of how to tame your data usage—then there’s something you should know: it isn’t just about downloading.
How to See Your Archived Stories on Instagram
Stories have been one of the biggest social network features of the last few years. Snapchat rolled them out first, but now every social network from WhatsApp to Instagram has stories. There’s also been a shift away from disappearing messages. People no longer seem to really want the photos they take to vanish into the ether. To that end, Instagram has recently added a Stories Archive. Now when you create an Instagram Story, it’s automatically saved to the Archive.
Microsoft Sucks at Naming Products
Microsoft is bad at naming things. Their recent renaming of the “Windows Store” to the “Microsoft Store” is just the latest in a long line of confusing and silly product names.
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Geek Trivia: Which Mammal Has The Highest Hair Density On Earth?
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Amazon Echo vs. Google Home: Which One Should You Buy?
Both the Amazon Echo and Google Home have earned their place at the top of the smarthome hierachy, but which one should you buy?
Saturday, January 6, 2018
We’re At CES This Week! Here’s Where to Follow Us On Every Social Site
The Consumer Electronic’s Show is kicking off this week in Las Vegas, and we’re going to be on the ground checking out all the lates…
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Geek Trivia: Which G.I. Joe Character Was Introduced To Save Money On Manufacturing Costs?
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How to Avoid Getting Locked Out When Using Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication secures your accounts with code in addition to your password. You can’t get in without the code sent to your phone. But what happens if you lose or reset your phone? If you don’t plan your recovery method ahead of time, you could permanently lose access to your accounts.
Friday, January 5, 2018
What to Do if You Lose a Nest Tag
The Nest Secure security system comes with two Nest Tags, which can be used to quickly arm and disarm the system. However, they can easily get lost, so here’s what you can do if that happens.
Geek Trivia: An Entanglement Of Rats Is Called A?
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HP Is Recalling Some Laptop Models Due to Slight Battery Melting
If you’ve bought an HP laptop in the last couple weeks, you might want to pay attention to HP’s latest recall.
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How to Change Your IP Address From the Command Line in Linux
This trick should work on all Debian-based Linux distros, including Ubuntu. To get started, type ifconfig at the terminal prompt, and then hit Enter. This command lists all network interfaces on the system, so take note of the name of the interface for which you want to change the IP address.
Kohler’s Smart Mirror Lets You Ask Alexa to Flush Your Toilet, If You Want That
Imagine if, after your morning trip to the bathroom, you could flush your toilet or start running the water from your sink with a voice command.…
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Pick the Right Fitbit for Your Fitness Goals
The dawn of a new year usually means a strong urge to commit to some new ideas and habits.
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How to Get the Pixel 2’s Portrait Mode on Your Nexus or Pixel Phone
Portrait mode is arguably the hottest thing smoking on modern smartphones—it’s even become the reason to buy one phone over another at this point. But if you’re overall happy with your current generation phone and just want to get your hands on some of that sweet portrait action, now you can.
How to Quickly Change Audio Devices on the iPhone
There are few things more annoying in life than making a phone call from your iPhone, and then realizing that it’s actually connected to your Bluetooth speaker—which don’t have a microphone. Shouting “Can you hear me now?” at the phone is never a good look.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Hundreds of Smartphone Apps Are Spying on Your TV Watching. Here’s How to Disable Them
If you’re afraid that your smartphone is spying on you…well, you’re right. But that’s kind of a non-optional part of modern living: amassing huge amounts of consumer data is how companies like Google operate. But recently some third-party apps have been found taking a few more liberties than they should, like a HAL 9000 in your pocket.
How to Customize Nest Secure’s Alarm Levels
The Nest Secure has three different alarm settings: Off, Home, and Away. Here’s how to customize some of these settings to fit your needs.
Geek Trivia: A Pivotal Supreme Court Case That Defined Fair Use In Music Was 2 Live Crew Vs. Who?
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Most Americans Are Still Afraid of Self-Driving Cars
According to most reasonable estimates, self-driving car technology is always about five years away from being good enough for everyone to use…
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How to Manually Set Your Location in Google Chrome
Phones get all the fun toys. Thanks to built-in GPS, network triangulation, and other goodies, it’s possible for them to use a more-or-less exact location for apps and website tools.
Ten Original Movies From 2017 You Might’ve Missed
2017 was another big year for franchises, sequels, and reboots. As every year from now until the end of time will be.
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How to Play Multiplayer Party Games on Your Chromecast
So you have a Chromecast. Did you know that you can do more than just stream movies, music, and videos with it? You can also play simple games that were actually designed for use on the Chromecast. We’re not talking about any AAA titles here, but there are definitely some fun little multiplayer games for when you have a group of people together.
How to Use the Foreground and Background to Create Stronger Photos
Photography can be very technical, especially in the digital age. But photography is, at it’s core, art. You can take a technically perfect photo that’s utterly boring and a technically imperfect photo that’s a lot more interesting.
What Is Microsoft Azure, Anyway?
If you’ve followed Microsoft news, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Microsoft Azure, formerly known as Windows Azure. This cloud computing service is a big part of Microsoft’s business, and it competes with similar services from Amazon and Google.
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
How to Disable Motion Detection on the Nest Guard
By default, the Nest Guard (which acts as the main keypad for the Nest Secure security system) doubles as a motion sensor, and will sound the alarm if it detects motion. However, if you would rather just have it act as the keypad and nothing else, here’s how to disable the motion detection.
Geek Trivia: A “Poka-Yoke” Is A Design Feature Intended To Stop The User From?
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What Is configd, and Why Is It Running On My Mac?
You’re browsing the processes on your Mac using Activity Monitor when you notice something you don’t recognize: configd. What is this, and should you be worried?
9 Products To Help Make Your Dumb Car Smart
Car technology is moving as rapidly as other tech, but that’s a little awkward considering cars are far more expensive to upgrade than a p…
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How to Fix a Stuck or Repeating Key on Your Mechanical Keyboard
Mechanical keyboards are great! But they’re also more complex than conventional keyboards. While they’re less likely to fail entirely, all those individual components mean you’re likely to have issues with certain switches—one for each key, somewhere between 60 and 110 of them, depending on the size of your keyboard.
How to Block Inappropriate Websites Using Google Wifi
There are a lot of “bad” websites on the internet—you know, things you wouldn’t really want your kids to look at. The problem is, it’s hard to constantly monitor what kids are doing online. The good news is that you can easily block inappropriate websites using Google Wifi.
How to Remove Apple Music from the iPhone’s Music App
Apple Music is heavily integrated into your iPhone’s Music app. This is great if you’re a subscriber, but the constant prompts and reminders to join get pretty tiresome if you’re not. The good news is you can remove Apple Music from the Music app. This will make it much more like the old Music app.
A Huge Intel Security Hole Could Slow Down Your PC Soon
Intel chips have a massive design flaw, and both Microsoft and the Linux kernel developers are scrambling to fix it. The security hole can be patched, but the patches will make PCs (and Macs) with Intel chips slower.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
You Should Turn Off Autofill in Your Password Manager
Advertisers have found a new way to track you. According to Freedom to Tinker, a few ad networks are now abusing tracking scripts to capture the email addresses that your password manager auto-fills on websites.
How to Change the Alarm Delay for the Nest Secure
With the Nest Secure, you have a certain amount of time between arming your system and leaving the house, or between entering your home and disarming the system. Here’s how to customize that time window.
Geek Trivia: The Only Predator That Routinely Preys On Skunks Is The?
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How to Stop Microsoft Word from Underlining Contractions as Errors
Microsoft Word will mark contractions like “I’m”, “don’t”, and “doesn’t”, as grammatical errors, showing that dashed line under them. For more casual documents, this can be annoying.
How to Fix Blank Google Maps In Chrome
Do you ever go to Google Maps on your computer, only to see a blank mother-of-pearl grid? It’s really annoying, and it doesn’t happen for any obvious reason. It’s still possible to use Google Maps when it gets like this—you can use search and find specific addresses—but the core functionality is more or less shot. It looks like this:
Facebook’s News Feed Algorithm Is Completely Busted
Facebook serves many useful functions. It helps you set up events, send messages to friends and family, and even organize groups.
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How to Set Up Google Family to Share Your Google Services
If you pay for a book on Google Play Books, your significant other should be able to read it, too. The same goes for movies, music, and even apps or games—if you make a purchase, everyone in the family should be able to enjoy it. Thanks to Google Family, they can.
How to Set Up Your Own Home VPN Server
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are very useful, whether you’re traveling the world or just using public Wi-Fi at a coffee shop in your hometown. But you don’t necessarily have to pay for a VPN service—you could host your own VPN server at home.
Monday, January 1, 2018
Geek Trivia: The Bird With The Shortest Migration Route Is The?
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Lock Down Your Tech in 2018 With These Resolutions
If you’re a human person who occasionally engages in commerce, hackers are probably targeting you. This year, resolve to do something about it.
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