Windows can’t see your USB-connected Android phone or tablet
This one's a lot of fun! You connect your Android phone or tablet with a USB cable to your PC. You expect to be able to browse the files on your phone, or transfer photos/video. Nope! Nuttin'. Nada. ZILCH. It worked before, so what happened? Better yet, how do you fix...
How NOT to clean your screen
Who doesn't love a shiny, clean screen? Smudges and fingerprints are just seriously annoying. But what's the best way to clean the screen on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or TV? Well, there's one thing you do NOT want to do - as I discovered in a moment of...
Cloudless Windows backup that’s RELIABLE and FREE
Everybody needs a backup, but not everybody wants all their data stored in the cloud. Until now, File History was good enough. Starting with Win 11, it's effectively crippled to push everyone to use OneDrive. Ug. So, what to do? I'll tell you what: Back up Windows...
Windows 11 is here, and well… It’s okay
If you've read my earlier article, Will Windows 11 run on your PC? November 2021 Update, you probably decided you don't want Windows 11 after all. Well, I just upgraded my main puter to a new 12th gen Intel Core i5-12600K processor... And I REALLY needed to do a clean...
Windows Update is MISSING? Fix it for good!
So you've tried to fix Windows Update, but it just won't work. Even my earlier solution didn't work... Never fear! There is a way to essentially 'reinstall' Windows Update that will fix it good. But first, there's one other step you should take to make sure this never...
Why can’t I see my SSD in a clean install of Windows 11?
Let's say you decide to take the plunge and install Windows 11 on your puter. You get everything set up, create a bootable USB stick of Windows 11, and fire away... And then you discover that your SSD is missing! The Win 11 installer can't see it, and your BIOS can't...
Make your own Dirty Electricity Filters!
So you want to prevent Dirty Electricity, but you don't want to spend a fortune on filters? No problem! With a few tools and some parts, you can DIY your own DE filters that perform just as well as pre-made Greenwave or Stetzerizer filters. I made 14 additional...
Will Windows 11 run on your PC? November 2021 Update
You might have heard that Windows 11 officially launched a month ago. You might also be wondering (still) if Win 11 will actually run on your puter. Well, you're not alone! Things are pretty much as murky as before. In fact, they're so confused that even though...
How to fix an alternator and save big $$
Raw materials, parts, even cardboard - everything's in short supply these days! So, what do you do when your alternator is dying and you can't even find a new one? Why, you repair it yourself! While it may seem like this is way beyond your ability, it turns out it's...
How to Debug web sites on Mobile Devices
If you've ever designed a web site, you know that the 'dev tools' built into browsers are invaluable. You can play with the CSS, debug JavaScript, see requests in realtime, and so on. That's all great for desktop, but what about debugging on mobile? Typically,...
Dirty Electricity: What it is and how to fix it
While everyone is paying the most attention to wireless tech like 5G, dirty electricity is often completely overlooked. In short, all our wondrous gizmos generate noise that couples to the human body from the electrical wiring in our homes, schools, places of work,...
Is Chrome’s Idle Detection really a threat to privacy?
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...
What happened to RAVPower? Well, it’s nuts…
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!...
Why your WebRTC calls aren’t working: Timing is everything!
WebRTC is pretty cool. It allows any web browser to make voice and video calls to any other browser - no extra software required! The problem is that while there are tons of guides and gobs of sample code out there, nobody really explains how it works. The end result...
mmWave Madness: No, you’re not crazy!
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...
The Hidden Dangers of 5G & wireless tech
A friend recently bought a new 5G smartphone. She was worried about the '5G' part especially. Two problems: First, there is no 5G where we live, so I just turned it off. Second, the 5G Samsung phone only supports lower frequencies than our local 4G network - IOW, no...