Friday, August 31, 2018
Free Download: 160 Soothing Notification Sounds That Make Your Phone Less Annoying
Notifications are annoying, but your notification sounds don’t have to be. iRingPro is a huge collection of soothing sounds you can download for free right now and use on your phone.
How to Make Your Venmo Transactions Private
Did you know your Venmo transactions are public by default? Everyone on the Internet can see your name, the recipient’s name, the message you send, and any comments. They can even jump in and comment on your transactions.
Google’s Ad Tracking Knows Every Mastercard Purchase You Make, Online or Off
Google tracks Mastercard purchases to see if online advertisements prompt real-world sales. The deal is worth millions of dollars, with Mastercard basically selling customer data to Google.
The Best iPhone Armbands And Waist Belts For Running And The Gym
Whether you use your iPhone to track your workout, listen to music, or more, there’s a good chance it’s coming with you on a run o…
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Your Google Assistant Can Now Understand Two Languages At a Time
Your home may be bilingual, but until today your Google Assitant wasn’t.
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What Is A URL (Uniform Resource Locator)?
When you type an address into your web browser, a lot of things happen behind the scenes. And most of that is determined by the various parts of the URL you typed. Let’s take a closer look.
Can Opener
Using tin cans as a method of food preservation started as early as the 1770s and a patent was issued for tin food cans in 1810, but the first dedicated can openers weren’t invented until the 1850s. Prior to the advent of the can opener, people used hammers and chisels to open their cans.
How to Batch Resize Images with Automator on Mac
Having to open a whole bunch of images just to resize and save them again is a pain. Luckily, Apple’s built-in Automator tool can streamline this process, letting you select a group of images and resize them all at once—automatically.
The Best Electronics Kits for Kids Of All Ages
Whether your child already has an interest in electronics, or you’d like to foster one,…
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How to Recover Your Images from Your Lightroom Preview Files
RAW image files are huge so Adobe Lightroom saves preview JPEG files to speed things up. If worst comes to worst and you lose your originals, you might be able to recover something from the previews.
Why Microsoft’s Office 365 is a Great Deal
Microsoft’s Office 365 service has been a great deal for a long time, and it’s getting better. Starting October 2, 2018, Office 365 Home will let six users install an unlimited number of Office applications.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
How to Create, Set Up, and Manage Your Discord Server
Discord is a quickly growing text and voice chat application, aimed at gamers in particular. Its sleek and simple design makes it an excellent alternative to older apps like Teamspeak and Skype. Discord has taken a lot of inspiration from Teamspeak’s extensive customization and management options but has buried some of those options within the interface. Luckily, it’s pretty simple to get started.
The Best MicroSD Cards For Drones, Dash Cams, and Action Cams
When is a memory card not just a memory card? When you need it to do more than sit in a camera.
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Geek Trivia: Similar To The Y2K Bug, There’s A Looming Date Bug Triggered By The Year?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
Firefox 65 Will Block Cross Site Tracking
An upcoming version of Firefox will block cross site tracking by default.
Why People Named “Weiner,” “Butts,” and “Dikshit” Have Trouble Creating Accounts Online
Trolls delight in making up “hilarious” fake names, so websites try to filter certain words for new accounts. What if your real name contains one of those words?
eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S Review: A Practical (If Not Particularly Intelligent) Robotic Vacuum
Vacuuming isn’t the most thrilling domestic task which is why robot vacuums are so appealing.
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How to Find and Replace Formatting in Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word’s Find and Replace feature isn’t just for replacing text. You can also use Find and Replace to locate specific types of formatting throughout your document and even replace that formatting with something else.
Students Can Get Spotify Premium, Hulu, and Showtime in $5 a Month Bundle
US students can get Spotify Premium for $5 a month, with Hulu and Showtime thrown in.
The Million-Piece Lego Bugatti Can Reach a Top Speed of Almost 19 Miles Per Hour
As part of a promo for the Italian Grand Prix, Lego built a functional Bugatti Chiron made from Technic pieces.
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What Is a WMA File (and How Do I Open One)?
A file with the .wma file extension is a Windows Media Audio (WMA) file. Microsoft created the format to avoid the licensing issues associated with the MP3 format.
How to Run macOS Mojave in Parallels For Free
Want to give macOS Mojave a spin, but don’t feel ready to upgrade from High Sierra? You can quickly set Mojave up in a virtual machine, for free.
How to Change or Rename the Active Network Profile Name in Windows 10
Windows 10 automatically creates a network profile when you connect to a network. Ethernet networks are named something like “Network,” while wireless networks are named after the SSID of the hotspot. But you can rename them with a simple Registry hack or local security policy setting.
What Happens to Your Smarthome If the Internet Goes Down?
An internet connection can be the thing that separates a smarthome device from a dumbhome device. If the internet goes out at your place, what exactly happens to your smarthome devices? Do they turn into bricks, or are they still somewhat functional?
Mario Mario
The surname of iconic Nintendo character Mario is also Mario, making his full name Mario Mario.
Google Titan Security Key Review: Two Great Keys For The Price Of One
Google’s getting into the two-factor security key game with their freshly released Titan Security Key Bundle.
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Wednesday, August 29, 2018
How to Find and Replace Text in Microsoft Word
Have you ever finishing typing a letter, report or presentation only to discover that you misspelled a person’s name or had the wrong company listed multiple times throughout your document? No worries—it’s an easy fix. Using Word’s Find and Replace feature, you can quickly locate and replace text. Let’s see how it works.
The Best Wi-Fi Routers For Gamers
Will an awesome premium router make you a better gamer? To be honest, no.
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Geek Trivia: The Most Expensive Rare Coin Ever Sold Was?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
Acer Ripped This Gaming Rig Right Out of the Cockpit of a Space Ship
Acer has lost its absolute mind.
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For Sale: 1976 Apple 1. Still Works, Asking $300,000 OBO
An original Apple 1, hand-built by Steve Wozniak in 1976, is up for auction in September. It’s expected to sell for $300,000 or more.
How to Enable Dark Mode for YouTube
YouTube’s dark mode provides an easier-on-the-eyes viewing experience. It’s particularly nice when watching videos in the dark. YouTube’s dark theme is available on the YouTube website and in YouTube’s mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Windows’ Sticky Notes Will Finally Sync Between Computers
Love Sticky Notes in Windows, but wish notes synced between computers? Good news: that feature is coming.
How to Fix Your Mac’s Dock When It Gets Stuck
Sometimes, your Mac’s Dock might freeze up and stop working. It might also become glitchy, with app badges never going away or apps still showing after you close them. Here’s how to fix those problems.
How to Disable Your PC’s Touchpad When You Connect an External Mouse
While laptop touchpads can be useful—especially those that support gestures—they can also be annoying. They’re just too easy to accidentally hit when you’re typing. If you use an external mouse, it’s even more annoying because you don’t need the touchpad at all. Here’s how to disable the touchpad when you use an external mouse.
Xbox All Access Is the Perfect Deal For People Who Hate Deal Hunting
Microsoft has officially announced a financing plan that lets you pay monthly for a console, Xbox Live Gold, and Game Pass.
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The Best Free Video Converters
If you watch videos on a variety of devices, its likely that you’ve run into compatibility issues. Your iPhone might record 4K video, but can your PlayStation or your smart TV play that video seamlessly? Luckily, there are many free video converters available that will help you convert and watch your favorite videos on the device of your choice. Here are our top picks.
What Is a Checksum (and Why Should You Care)?
A checksum is a sequence of numbers and letters used to check data for errors. If you know the checksum of an original file, you can use a checksum utility to confirm your copy is identical.
Yogi Bear Influence
The animated character Yogi Bear’s style of speaking and mannerisms were modeled after The Honeymooners character Ed Norton, played by Art Carney.
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Do You Need Fast Internet Speeds for Your Smarthome Devices?
A lot of smarthome devices require an internet connection for advanced functionalities to work correctly, but does that internet connection need to be super fast? Here’s what you need to know.
Geek Trivia: As Part Of Its Mosquito Fighting Arsenal, Disney World Uses Which Of These Domestic Animals?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
There’s a New Smaller Version of That Blue Yeti Microphone Every Podcaster and YouTuber Uses
The Blue Yeti microphone has been a standard for high-quality home audio.
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Vintage Nickelodeon Offered on Yet Another $10 a Month Streaming Service
Classic Nickelodeon cartoons are now offered on VRV, a $10 a month streaming service from AT&T.
The Best Inexpensive Monitors
So you’d like to get a monitor for your laptop, or perhaps expand your desktop to two.
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How to Compress PDFs and Make Them Smaller
PDFs can get pretty big, especially if you’re adding lots of images and objects. If you’ve created a PDF that’s too big—maybe you’re trying to email it or maybe it just takes too long to load—here’s how you compress your PDF to a smaller size.
Free Download: Write is a Word Processor for Handwriting
Windows/Mac/Linux/Android: Love the feel of writing by hand, but wish you could use features like copy/paste and undo? Write is a free tool that lets you do just that.
How (and Why) to Use Hidden Text in a Word Document
Word lets you hide text so you can read or print your document as if the text isn’t there. This might seem pointless—why not just remove the text if you don’t want someone to read it—but hidden text does have some interesting uses. Let’s take a look at what hidden text is (and what it isn’t), why you might want to hide text, and how to do it.
What is “rpcsvchost” and Why it Running on my Mac?
You find something called rpcsvchost while using Activity Monitor to see what’s running on your Mac. What is this process, and should you be worried? In a word, no: rpcsvhost is a core part of macOS.
The Best Everyday Pen For The Office And Beyond
More and more of everyday life is going digital but it’s still not 100% there yet.
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Should You Buy Crop Sensor Specific Camera Lenses?
Digital cameras have two primary sensor formats: full frame (or 35mm) cameras where the sensor is roughly the same size as a 35mm film frame and crop sensor (or APS-C) cameras where the sensor is just under 2/3 the size. Lenses designed for full frame cameras work on crop sensor cameras, but using crop sensor lenses on full frame cameras is either impossible (Canon) or comes with some serious compromises (Nikon and Sony). If you’ve got a crop sensor camera, it can be tempting just to buy crop lenses, but it’s not always the best idea.
How to Protect Yourself From Public USB Charging Ports
USB charging ports in public places are convenient but possibly risky. Data is transferrable over a USB connection, so plugging your phone into an unknown charging port puts it at risk.
Gumby Origin
The iconic 1950s era claymation character Gumby was the inspired result of a 1953 three-minute student film called Gumbasia created by Art Clokey while he attended the University of Southern California. Later, in 1955, the pilot episode of Gumby was seen by an NBC executive, which quickly led to it being picked up and turned into a popular children’s television show.
Monday, August 27, 2018
Amazon’s Fights With Apple and Google Annoy Pretty Much Everyone
Apple wants 30 percent cut of all in-app purchases. Amazon doesn’t want to give Apple 30 a percent cut of Kindle book sales.
Security Cameras Are Useless If They Can’t Identify Anyone
It’s important to consider the location of your security cameras carefully. While you might think you have every area covered, you’ll also want to make sure your cameras are close enough to the potential action to capture shots that let you identify people and vehicles.
The Best Instant Cameras For Fast Retro Snaps
Remember instant cameras and film? Owning a Polaroid camera was the coolest thing possible back in the day before camera phones.
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Geek Trivia: Which Of These Cartoon Characters Started Life In An Educational Comic?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
Disney’s Streaming Service Will Be Cheaper Than Netflix, Possibly Named “Disney Play”
Disney’s top priority for 2019 is launching a streaming service. It will be cheaper than Netflix and possibly named “Disney Play.”
The Third-Generation August Smart Lock Is Cheaper Than Ever at $100 Today
The third-generation August Smart Lock caught our eye in our roundup of sm…
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A Gmail-Style Side Panel Is Coming to Google Docs and Google Calendar
Google plans to add a sidebar to Google Calendar, Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Users will be able to create notes, tasks, and calendar appointments while editing documents.
Use the Navigation Pane to Easily Reorganize Microsoft Word Documents
Microsoft Word is packed with features that improve usability and workflow efficiency. Navigation Pane is a great example, and you can use it to navigate headings, search your document for text or objects, and even easily reorganize your documents.
How to Disable or Customize Autocorrect on Mac
Sometimes, autocorrect gets it wrong, replacing a word you meant to type with something completely different. You can customize it to fix these issues or disable it altogether.
You Should Pay Attention to These Android Manufacturers if You Care About Updates
The Android update landscape is a disaster that has plagued the OS for years. “Fragmentation” is a common complaint against Android, but some manufacturers are starting to take the necessary steps to correct this years-long problem.
How to Make Your Smart Home Tech Guest Friendly
Whether you’re having family over or renting out your place on AirBnb, making your smart home tech easy for your guests is a good idea.
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How to Access HBO Now from the EU
HBO is famous for making great TV shows. Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Silicon Vally, Entourage. Honestly, if not for Breaking Bad, as far as people in Europe are concerned, HBO is pretty much the only US channel worth watching. Let’s look at how to—somewhat—legally access it, no matter where you are.
What is Code Injection on Windows?
Code injection is common on Windows. Applications “inject” pieces of their own code into another running process to modify its behavior. This technique can be used for good or evil, but either way it can cause problems.
No 007 Movie In 2007
Ironically, despite how famous the James Bond franchise made the numbers “007”, there was no Bond movie released in 2007.
Kit-Kat Filler
The chocolate between the wafers of a Kit-Kat bar isn’t the same chocolate used on the exterior of the bars—it’s made from mashed up Kit-Kat bars that failed their quality checks because of exterior air bubbles, off-center wafers, other imperfections, or simply not being shiny enough.
Typewriter QWERTY Top Row
There are several long 10 letter words that you can spell using only the top row of a QWERTY format keyboard such as proprietor, repertoire, and—fittingly enough—typewriter.
Nintendo Name Translation
The name of Japanese game company Nintendo can be translated as “leave luck to heaven” and reflects the company’s origins in the 1880s as a playing card company.
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Geek Trivia: Long Before Virtual Game Achievements Were A Thing, Activision Would Mail Gamers?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
The Best Aftermarket Android Auto and Carplay Head Units for Your Car
If you love the idea of having Android Auto or Carplay in your ride, you don’t have to wait until it’s time to get a new vehicle t…
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Dark Patterns: When Companies Use Design to Manipulate You
Ever feel like you’re being prompted into going along with something you don’t want because better options aren’t clearly being presented? You probably just found a dark pattern.
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Geek Trivia: What Causes Wint-O-Green Candies To “Spark” In Your Mouth?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
It’s Finally Safe (And Affordable) To Buy Graphics Cards Again
It’s been a bit of a drag to be a PC gamer over the last year or so. Cryptocurrency miners gobbled up all of the graphics cards in an already somewhat niche market, sending prices for high-end and even mid-range GPUs skyrocketing. That has changed.
Friday, August 24, 2018
How to Install a Hue Dimmer Switch Over an Existing Light Switch
When you have Philips Hue lights all across your house, physical light switches become less useful. If you want, you can hide them and use a Hue Dimmer Switch instead.
T-Mobile Hacked Again: Over 2 Millions Account Numbers and Addresses Potentially Leaked
Attackers may have compromised three percent of T-Mobile’s 77 million customers on Monday, revealing personal information like addresses, phone numbers, and account numbers.
Over Half of New Netflix Content Next Month is Original
Netflix has long planned for a library that’s half original content, and two years later the production engine is up and running. This is the second month in a row where more than half of new content on the site is Original.
How to Reduce the Size of a Microsoft Word Document
Word documents can get huge, unusually long, complex documents with loads of embedded images, fonts, and other objects. But it also seems like documents can grow out of hand for seemingly no reason at all. If you’re dealing with a huge document, here are some things you can try to reduce its file size.
How to Enable Dark Mode for Google Chrome
Google Chrome doesn’t have a built-in dark theme like Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge do, but you can get a dark Chrome browser in a few clicks. You can even apply a dark theme to every web page you visit.
How to Stop Android’s Keyboard from Censoring Your Messages
Sometimes you need to say what’s on your mind using colorful language. But right out of the box, Android can hamper that, making your swear words duller (or just plain wrong). Here’s how to put a stop to that nonsense.
The Best Phone Docks For Your Car
If you’re in the habit of using your phone as a makeshift GPS navigation unit or music manager in your car, you want a reliable place to…
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How to Watch US TV In Europe
Everyone in Europe knows that the US has the best TV. You guys have ESPN, Comedy Central, and HBO. We have…other stuff. So, let’s look at how we poor Europeans can once again plunder your continent; but this time for decent evening entertainment.
How to Enable Microsoft’s New OneDrive Folder Protection in Windows
Microsoft OneDrive now offers to “protect” the contents of your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders. You can use your standard file storage folders, and OneDrive will synchronize them as if they were saved in the regular OneDrive folder.
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Download Windows 95 as a Windows, Mac, or Linux App, Because You Can
Miss the mid 90s? Me neither, but Windows 95 still gives me a good feeling. You can download it right now if you want.
What Do Those Confusing Light Bulb Codes Mean?
There are so many types of light bulbs available on the market that it’s hard to keep track of them all, but each type has its own “code” of sorts that tells you everything you need to to know about it.
The Best Volume-Limiting Headphones for Kids
When it comes to picking a set of headphone for your little one, the qualifications are a bit different than looking for yourself.
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Geek Trivia: The Only Internal Organ In The Human Body Capable Of Regeneration Is The?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
Facebook Removed Their Spying VPN From The App Store (But It’s Still on Google Play)
Facebook removed Onavo—a free VPN run by the social networking company—from the iOS App Store today. The voluntary move by Facebook was prompted by discussions with Apple about privacy policy.
Would You Pay a Monthly Fee to Buy An Xbox Over Two Years Like a Cell Phone?
When you go to your cell carrier, they’ll give you an expensive phone up front and let you pay monthly for it for two years.
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8 Must Have Products For Your Dorm Room
If you’re heading off to college in the Fall, you’ve probably got a lot of planning ahead of you.
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How to Position Images and Other Objects in Microsoft Word
Adding an image or other illustration objects to a Word document is simple, but positioning those objects and getting them to stay where you want them can be frustrating. Luckily Word has the tools to make this more manageable if you know where to look. Let’s take a quick tour.
What Is a DAT File (and How Do I Open One)?
A file with the .dat file extension is a generic data file that stores specific information relating to the program that created the file. Some apps that use them are CCleaner, Porteus, and Minecraft. They might even show up in your email as an attachment from a Microsoft Exchange Server.
How to Juggle Multiple Google Calendars
If you only have one Google account, managing your calendar is pretty simple. But once you bring your work account, shared family calendars, and even specialty calendars into the mix, keeping things organized becomes more challenging.
Is It Better to Watch a 4K Movie On Blu-ray or Through Streaming?
Netflix offers 4K movies, but are they good enough to compete with the UHD Blu-ray you can find in a store? Well, no.
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What is ZSH, and Why Should You Use It Instead of Bash?
ZSH, also called the Z shell, is an extended version of the Bourne Shell (sh), with plenty of new features, and support for plugins and themes. Since it’s based on the same shell as Bash, ZSH has many of the same features, and switching over is a breeze.
What Does Real-Time Ray Tracing Mean for Gamers Today?
Real-time ray tracing has been a far-off dream for decades, and now NVIDIA’s RTX 20-series graphics hardware will finally deliver it. But what does that mean, and is it everything it’s hyped up to be?
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
The Complete History of Mac OS X, In Screenshots
Mac OS X, called macOS these days, first launched as a public beta in the autumn of 2000. Things have changed a lot since then.
8 Good Paid Mobile Games with No Pesky In-App Purchases
It’s rare when a mobile game doesn’t come with any in-app purchases, but they still exist. Here are some pay-up-front games with no additional in-app purchases that we enjoy playing.
Seven Exclusive Nintendo Switch Games Worth Pre-Ordering From Amazon While You Still Can
Nintendo’s got a bunch of games coming down the pipeline, but Amazon is getting rid of its 20% discount before they arrive.
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Geek Trivia: Johnny Appleseed’s Goal In Planting Apple Trees Was To?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
Monument Valley Is Getting Its Own Movie Under Paramount Pictures
You know that cute puzzle game Monument Valley with the faceless protagonist that you played for a few minutes every day for a while?…
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Linux Steam Beta Offers Windows Games Using a Compatibility Layer
Linux gamers have more choice as of today because of a beta compatibility layer introduce by Valve, the company behind Steam.
IKEA Planning a $10 Smart Plug Compatible with HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Alexa
Ikea plans to launch a $10 smart plug that supports Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Alexa. It could be on shelves by October.
How to Tell How Long You’ve Worked on a Microsoft Word Document
One thing many writers want to know is how much time they’re spending on writing. If you use Microsoft Word, you’re in luck, because it’s easy to find out how much time you’ve spent editing a document.
How macOS Mojave’s Privacy Protection Works
Apple is adding more privacy protections in macOS 10.14 Mojave. Mac applications must request permission before accessing data like your photos, emails, webcam, microphone, calendars, and contacts. If an app tries accessing protected resources without permission, it may crash.
How to Set Up and Use Linux Apps on Chromebooks
Starting with version 69, Chrome OS users can use Linux applications. This is a game changer for Chrome OS, as it opens a massive catalog of available software. Here’s how to get started.
10 Camera Settings You Should Master on Your Canon Camera
Your camera is a tool, and you should be able to use it with total confidence. You should never have to dig through the manual or play around with random buttons trying to work out how to do something on a shoot. Here are the most important settings you need to master.
Why You Shouldn’t Use the Driver Verifier in Windows 10
Windows includes a “Driver Verifier” tool that can stress test your device drivers. It detects bad driver behavior, but any issue found triggers an immediate blue screen of death. Most PC users should stay away.
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Add macOS Preference Panes to Your Dock For Quick Access
macOS: Is there a certain Preference pane you access constantly? You can quickly add it to your dock.
How to Disable Automatic Hyperlinks in Microsoft Word
By default, Word 2016 and 365 automatically create hyperlinks out of web addresses you type. If you’d rather Word not create hyperlinks automatically, you can disable this functionality. Here’s how.
The Best Assisted-Open Knives
If you use a pocket knife as part of your every day carry kit, you want one that’s quick and easy to deploy.
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Geek Trivia: The U.S. War Department Studied Which Of These Things To Increase Transportation Efficiency?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
Logitech’s Newest Pro Wireless Mouse Has Already Proved Itself With the Overwatch League’s First Champions
Logitech has just announced its new G Pro Wireless mouse designed for gamers and office workers alike.
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Gmail Now Has an Undo Send Button on Android
Accidentally sending an unfinished email is the worst, and so is changing your mind right after hitting send. Happily Android Gmail users now have access to an undo button.
7 Products To Help You Keep The Peace With Your Roommate
You’ve made the big move and now you’re at college with a new roommate to get to know.
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Find Free TV and Movies With This New Roku Feature
A new Roku feature curates free TV shows and movies in one place, so you don’t have to jump between channels in order to find them all. Nothing highlighted requires a cable subscription.
The 6 Best Tools for Customizing Mac Keyboard Shortcuts
macOS has some useful keyboard shortcuts out of the box, but many apps on the market extend what you can do with the click of a few buttons. Most of them follow a simple formula of triggers and actions, allowing you to chain together commands and automate your workflow.
How to See Which Windows Version and Build is on a DVD, ISO, or USB Drive
Windows ISO files, DVDs, and USB drives all look alike. Microsoft should fix this, but it’s easy to see which Windows version, edition, build number, and architecture you have with a built-in command.
The Best Battery Packs to Jump Start Your Car (And Phone, Too)
Portable car jump starters are great to have for jump-starting your car when there’s no one else around, but many of them can also charg…
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What Are Photoshop Plug-ins, Extensions, and Add-Ons?
Photoshop is already a powerful and versatile app, but you can make it even more powerful, more versatile, and easier to use with Photoshop Add-Ons.
The Cheapest Places to Pre-Order Games (Now That You Need Prime for Amazon Discounts)
Amazon’s 20% discount on video game pre-orders and Best Buy’s generous Gamers Club Unlocked program are both gone. The competition is cooling down, but you can still find savings on new PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One games.
Monday, August 20, 2018
What Is an EPUB File (and How Do I Open One)?
A file with the .epub file extension is a popular file format used for storing eBooks and other types of content. EPUB, short for electronic publication, was named the official standard of the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) in September 2007.
The Best Computers (For People Who Hate Computers)
Trying to find a way to introduce someone to the internet and the digital world when it’s foreign to them (and they don’t like com…
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Geek Trivia: Which Of These Mammals Has Fingerprints Virtually Indistinguishable From A Human’s?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
How to Work with Page Numbers in Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word offers an easy way to add different styles of page numbers to your document. If you’ve got a simple document, it works well enough. But if you’ve worked with Word for a while and use it to create more complex documents, you know page numbering can get a little flaky. So let’s take a closer look.
Netflix Removed All User Reviews (But You Can Add Better Ones)
Netflix removed all user reviews from the site over the weekend, a change announced months ago. Be honest: you probably didn’t even notice.
Gmail’s Self Destructing Emails Now Work on Your Phone
Gmail users can now use Gmail’s Confidential Mode to send self-descruting emails on Android and iPhone.
How to Make iPhone AutoCorrect Ducking Let You Swear
AutoCorrect automatically fixes typos, which is convenient—but it thinks swears are typos. Your iPhone or iPad likes changing swear words into similar, incorrect words. If you ducking hate that, here’s how to get the keyboard out of your way.
How to Change SIM Cards in Android Phones
So you got a new phone, which means swapping your SIM card from the old to the new. While it sounds slightly daunting if you’ve never done it before, it’s quite easy. Here’s how.
The Best Smart Home Tech For Your Dorm
Smart home tech can make life easier, but dorm life has its own challenges.
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Do I Need to Calibrate My Monitor for Photography?
Spend enough time on photography websites, and sooner or later you’ll run into an article telling you how essential calibrating your display’s color is for your photography, but it is really? Let’s find out.
How to Manage a Printer in Windows 10
Windows 10 has a new Settings window for configuring printers, but you can still use the old Control Panel tools, too. Here’s what you need to know about installing, configuring, sharing, and troubleshooting printers on Windows.
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Geek Trivia: In The Early 1980s, The U.S. Gaming Industry Lobbied For?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
The Best Universal TV Remotes
A universal remote is the go-to solution if you want to control everything in your entertainment center without juggling pieces of plastic. He…
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Should You Buy a Smart Smoke Alarm?
If your house is already decked out with a ton of smarthome products, your next addition might be some smart smoke alarms, but are they worth buying in the first place? Here are some things to keep in mind.
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Geek Trivia: What Was The First Song Performed In Space?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
Best Camera Straps for Every Need
The strap that comes with your camera sucks. It screams tourist, holds your camera awkwardly, and is just generally terrible.
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The Best Cloud Gaming Services for Streaming Video Games
Around 2015, a few companies started to pop up that offer “cloud gaming,” a service promising to turn your cheap laptop into a high powered gaming rig through the power of “the cloud” (and a fast internet connection). A lot has changed in the few years, and cloud gaming is now a fully realized service, with many different options from which to choose.
Friday, August 17, 2018
How Multiple Nest Protect Smoke Alarms Work Together
Having just one smoke alarm in your home isn’t enough, so if you want to go all-in with the Nest Protect, you’ll need more than one unit. Here’s how multiple Protect units work together.
Geek Trivia: What Was The First Software Easter Egg?
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Google Goggles Goes to the Grave, Long Live Lens
Google Goggles has been around for years, but it hasn’t been updated since 2014. Until now.
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The Best Backpacks For College Students
If you’re off to college in the Fall, there’s a few critical must haves to pick up before you go.
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Watch Free TV Online Right Now With Xumo.TV
Xumo.TV brings the channel surfing experience to cord cutters, with content from The History Channel, MSNBC, Fox Sports, and more. And it’s free.
The Best Alternative Window Managers for macOS
Organizing windows on macOS is a pain—you’ve got to drag and resize everything manually. Happily, there are a bunch of apps that can help.
How to Set Up Whole House Audio Using Google Home
Having audio flow through your entire house is super cool. If you already have a handful of Google Homes spread throughout the house, it’s easy to do—a couple of toggles, and you’ll be ready to roll.
Which Game Console Is Best For The Budget-Conscious?
Buying a console is more expensive than just the basic bundle package. How much does each one cost when you get everything you need for it, though?
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How to Check if a Photo is Stolen
Photos and other images get stolen all the time online. Someone takes a photo from the photographer’s website or social media channels and uses it for their own needs. This is completely illegal and happens to me all the time here at How-To Geek.
How to Install the Same Printer Twice (With Different Settings) on Windows
You can install the same printer more than once in Windows, and each has its own settings. For example, you could have one printer device that prints in color, and one that prints in black and white.
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Here’s Why Your Third Party Twitter Client Broke Today
Every major third party Twitter client basically broke today, with key features like realtime updates, push notifications, and stats no longer working. Twitter caused the change themselves by shutting down some key APIs.
Will the Nest Protect Still Work Without a Wi-Fi Connection?
If the Wi-Fi goes out and your smarthome devices lose connectivity, it’s mostly just an inconvenience. However, what about devices that are potential lifesavers, like the Nest Protect?
Geek Trivia: The “10,000 Steps A Day For Better Health” Idea Originated With?
Think you know the answer? Click through to see if you're right!
How SNES Games Made Beautiful Music With Only 64kb
The SNES only had 64 kilobytes of audio RAM, yet composers used it to create some of the most memorable soundtracks in history. How is that possible?
The Best Bias Lighting For Your TV Or Desktop PC
Bias lighting is a great way to subtly enhance the viewing experience of your living room TV or desktop computer.
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Mozilla Recommend a Privacy Extension That Is Tracking Your Web History
Web Security, a Firefox extension with over 200,000 current users, tracks every website users visit and stores that information on a German web server.
How to Convert MKV Videos to MP4
Video formats can be confusing, and some might not work in your video player of choice, especially more obscure formats like MKV. It’s often easier or even necessary to convert them to something more usable, like MP4. Luckily, that conversion is easy to do.
How to Use Wildcards When Searching in Word 2016
Word has a powerful search feature that lets you search for text, numbers, formats, paragraphs, page breaks, wildcards, field codes, and more. By using wildcards, you can search for just about everything in your document. Let’s take a look.
How to Set Up Parental Controls on Chromebooks
Once upon a time, Chromebooks had built-in parental controls. Google removed them but added support for Family Link—its parental control software for Android phones and tablets. Here’s how it works on Chromebooks.
The Best Wall Outlets With USB Ports
How many of your devices can you charge with just a USB cable? And how many outlets in your house have USB ports?
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What Are the Different Metering Modes on My Camera And When Should I Use Them?
Your camera uses a light meter to figure out the correct exposure settings for any scene. Like most “automatic” camera features, you do have some control over how it works. Let’s look at the different metering modes and when to use them.
How to Protect Your PC From the Intel Foreshadow Flaws
Foreshadow, also known as L1 Terminal Fault, is another problem with speculative execution in Intel’s processors. It lets malicious software break into secure areas that even the Spectre and Meltdown flaws couldn’t crack.
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Facebook Bans Ads for Kodi Boxes Because Pirates Are Ruining Everything
Facebook banned all ads for Kodi boxes this week, the latest in a long run of similar crackdowns.
What is a tar.gz File, and How Do I Open It?
A tar file, often called a tarball, is a collection of files wrapped up in one single file for easy storage. Rather than keep track of a whole folder of files, you only need to keep track of one. Tar files are often compressed after being created, giving it the .tar.gz file extension. Technically these are TGZ files, but nearly everyone calls both .tar and .tar.gz files simple “tar files.”
The Best TV Wall Mounts
You could set your TV on a stand in your living room, but if you want a really clean look with minimal clutter, a wall mount will be even bett…
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Geek Trivia: Which Of These Early Game Consoles Eschewed Raster Graphics For An Authentic Arcade Display?
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The Best Mice For Travelling
Laptop trackpads have improved drastically over the years, but they still ca…
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You Can Now Talk to Alexa Using Cortana
You can now use Cortana to talk to Alexa, if you live in the US. Other countries are coming later.
How to Contact Gmail Support
Although you may not be able to directly contact Gmail support without subscribing to G Suite for businesses, there are a couple of ways to get the answers you’re looking for online. Let’s look at how you can get help with your Gmail issues.
Yell “Enhance!” At Your Computer, Just Like on TV, In This Browser Game
In the movies clearing up fuzzy photos is easy: just yell “enhance!” and “Zoom in!” Enhance, a browser game by programmer Nicole He, works just like that, and it’s hilarious.
How to File a Chargeback on a Credit Card Purchase (to Get Your Money Back)
A chargeback lets you dispute a credit card transaction and reverse it, getting your money back. For example, if you paid a subscription fee to MoviePass and the company just won’t let you cancel your subscription, you can do a chargeback.
Can You Host a Web Server on Your Home Internet Connection?
Setting up a web server and hosting your own website can be a fun and challenging learning experience. But if you’re looking to do this, you should check with your ISP first; it might be a violation of their terms of service.
How to Take Better Photos in Burst Mode
Burst mode, where your camera keeps taking photos as long as you hold down the shutter button, is handy when you’re trying to take action, sports, wildlife, or any other kind of photos where the subject is moving quickly. There’s a knack to doing it right, so let’s dig in.
How To Organize Your Messy Windows Desktop (And Keep It That Way)
The desktop is a convenient place to store files and program shortcuts, but it can get messy fast. Here’s how to tidy your desktop up so you can quickly find everything you’re looking for—and make sure it stays nice and organized.
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Watch This Maniac Connect a Floppy Drive to His Android Phone
There’s no good reason to plug a floppy drive into your phone…but you can.
What You Should Know Before Buying a Wired Security Camera System
Wired security camera systems are nice and far more reliable than Wi-Fi cameras, but there are a handful of things you should be aware of before you go out and buy a wired camera system.
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