5 October 2021 | Computers, Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Programming |
Chrome 94 was recently released with a new feature: Idle Detection.
Specifically, there’s a new JavaScript API called IdleDetector. It reports two things to the JS code of the web page you’re viewing: keyboard/mouse activity, and if your screen is locked or not.
Much has been said about the diabolical nature of this new capability in Chrome…
Thing is, while we can be forgiven for doubting Google’s motives in adding this feature, it just so happens that Idle Detection is actually quite safe – and useful!
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28 September 2021 | Gizmos, Spare Me!, Video |
RAVPower was all the rage not so long ago.
They make some of the BEST USB power bricks and USB chargers that have ever existed.
Then one, day, POOF! They were gone.
What the heck happened?
Join me for a look at the glorious world of Amazonism… Amazocracy? Whatever!
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7 September 2021 | Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video, Wireless Wonderland |
Ah, 5G… It’s a mixture of new technologies, the most “interesting” being mmWave, or millimeter wave.
If you’re wondering if a particular phone actually HAS mmWave, good luck figuring it out.
Even worse, in most areas it’s darn near impossible to find out what flavor of 5G is being used: Is it mmWave, or not?!
Good luck with that one, too.
And to top it all off, it doesn’t really matter anyway because even official government bodies are really looking at 5G and EXISTING wireless tech, and starting to get worried…
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13 July 2021 | Computers, Gizmos, How to, Video |
VLC media player is free, popular, and just awesome. It’ll play just about any audio or video file you throw at it.
Beginning in version 3.0.0, it supports hardware acceleration so that it should play even hi-res vids smoothly.
But quite often when you try to play a 4K (2160p) video, the playback stutters and is basically unwatchable.
What gives??
Turns out there’s a very simple fix that works 95% of the time! And it’ll take you all of about 10 seconds to do it…
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15 June 2021 | Computers, Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Networking, Video |
Even if you don’t know the term ‘phishing scam’, chances are you’ve already been targeted by many of them.
A phishing scam is when someone uses a genuine-looking e-mail, login page, SMS, or whatever to fool you into giving up personal data – like logins, passwords, card and banking info, etc.
They often involve some kind of ‘hook’ that makes you worried or scared. When that happens, you stop thinking and fall into the trap.
But these scams are very easy to avoid with a bit of extra attention. I’ll show an example of a phishing scam I received recently and then take it apart piece by piece so that next time, you’ll know exactly what to look for to protect yourself!
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6 April 2021 | Energy, Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video |
Microwave ovens that you use to cook food operate at a frequency of 2.45 GHz.
This is the same radio band where one finds WiFi, Bluetooth, and so on.
So, why is everything lumped into this one chunk of the frequency spectrum? Is there something particularly magical about 2.4 GHz?
It turns out that there is a common misconception about this frequency and water.
The truth, however, is far more mundane…
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29 December 2020 | Computers, Gizmos |
So there you are, trying to view holiday photos and video from friends and family.
The files in question have the extension HEIF or HEIC, which you’ve never seen before.
No matter what you do, they just won’t open. They also don’t have a thumbnail preview in Explorer.
Right…
So how the heck do you view these things? And why aren’t they just simple JPEGs or MP4 files?
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5 December 2020 | Computers, Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video |
It’s everywhere these days: 2FA (two-factor authentication).
More and more, you must use something more than just a password to secure your online accounts.
Some sites, like PayPal, are apparently requiring 2FA for everyone.
So, what types of 2FA are there? Do you have to use a smartphone? Is there an alternative to SMS-based 2FA? And most importantly, is it that much safer?
Finally, I reveal the other reason why everyone is pushing 2FA so much – and it doesn’t have anything to do with your security or privacy!
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21 November 2020 | Computers, Do-It-Yourself, Gizmos, How Does it Work? |
Everyone has annoying technical problems.
It’s just part of Computerized Everything these days.
Usually, we tend to become aggravated when these problems occur… But what if we didn’t have to?
What if you could solve your own techie issues with a minimum amount of frustration – and in record time?
If that sounds like a plan, join me for the best techie tip yet!
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27 October 2020 | Gizmos, How Does it Work?, Video |
Power banks, portable USB chargers, battery banks… Whatever you want to call them, they’re very handy for charging your gizmos on the go.
The only trouble is that almost all of them take AGES to recharge themselves.
Even though many models support Quick Charging of your gizmos, the power bank itself usually only gently sips juice from the wall outlet as it leisurely refills its internal lithium-ion cells.
Typically, you may have to wait upwards of 14 HOURS for a full recharge! That’s not very convenient.
Enter the RAVPower 26800mAh USB C Power Bank – with 30W quick-charging INPUT for a full recharge time of only 4 hours!
But the fun doesn’t stop there…
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Chrome 94 was recently released with a new feature: Idle Detection.
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