A REAL fix for low mic volume!
Connecting a mic to your PC is pretty essential for good quality sound. So what do you do when your mic level is suddenly too low? After going through the usual fixes for mix problems - just in case - I explain what's probably going on with your mic and how to fix it...
Walking Simulators: A different kind of video game
Ah yes, video games. Depending on who you ask, they're either totally fine and lots of fun, or the very reason that things like school shootings happen so often. Whatever your opinion, the relatively new gaming genre known as "walking simulators" has become...
Best strippers EVER (um, for techies)
Now, I know that everyone is pretty attached to their favorite stripper. The trouble is, sometimes this attachment is not terribly healthy... I'm talking about wire and cable strippers, of course! After decades of searching - across scorching deserts and over frosty...
How to update or install “Linux on Windows” in Windows 10
In the olden days, there was only "Bash on Ubuntu on Windows 10". This little gem gave you something like reverse WINE. You got an Ubuntu linux install that's running on top of the Windows kernel - with full file system access, the ability to install and run all kinds...
EEK! #6 – AC Power, RMS, and VA vs W
You probably do this all the time, but you don't even know it. I'm talking about AC power calculations with P = V x I. Technically, it works. But when you think about it, it shouldn't. AC has constantly changing voltage and current over time - unlike DC. So how on...
Fix a broken Start menu in Windows 10
Back in October 2017, Microsoft released the Fall Creators Update for Windows 10. For most people, all was well. But for a surprisingly large minority, the Start menu just sort of stopped working. Clicking the Start button did nothing, and neither did right-clicking...
Off isn’t really Off
In the olden days, our gizmos had electro-mechanical power buttons. When the thing was turned off, no power was sent to it. Nowadays, things have changed with the advent of electronically-controlled everything - including things like washing machines. You can even...
HDMI Cables: Which type should I use for 4K?
I recently had some fun with HDMI cables - specifically, how best to connect a 4K UltraHD Blu-ray player to a 4K TV? As a follow-up to my Display Cable Madness vid, I dive a bit deeper into the different flavors of HDMI cable: 1.4, 2.0, and 2.1. Obviously, the latest...
Smart Meters are worse than you think
I recently learned the hard way what's happening with smart meters in Europe. The same type of smart meter they're using here in France has already been deployed in many EU countries. Mostly, we hear only about the negative health effects of wireless smart meters, but...
Why I ditched my smartphone
Smartphones are nice, right? They let you Do Stuff™, and you can even convert your entire social life to be run entirely via Google's servers! WOW! Well, according to a recent investigation by the Tucker Carlson clan, it turns out Google is hoovering up far more data...
Do SSDs make good backup hard drives?
A friend recently asked me about what backup hard drive to buy. He mentioned an external SSD, which made me do a double-take. External SSD?! Well, yeah. Apparently, they've been around for years already, although only recently have prices become a bit more reasonable....
A better Stylish Smartphone Faraday Box
9 months ago, I made this video: Make your own stylish smartphone Faraday Box in 10 minutes Since then, I've learned a ton more about Faraday cages, and experimented a lot to make an even BETTER box. It turns out that my original box was only so-so at blocking...
Time to switch to a HomeGroup on Windows 10
Way back in 2009, I wrote this article: How to Determine the Master Browser in a Windows Workgroup I also released a tool called LAN Scanner that lets you see all the puters on your local network, their IP addies, MAC addresses, and which puter is the Master Browser....
Get your politics out of my tech!
In recent years, we've seen a huge upsurge in "political correctness" and certain "social movements". From James Damore being fired for speaking his mind in a very "leftist" corporate culture, to Amazon's Alexa declaring that she is a feminist, to DNA testing services...
Windows 10 Buffet: Fixing a failed upgrade to the latest version
It's been several months since Windows 10 1709 was released. Even now, not all puters out there have received the update. As with all versions of Win 10, Microsoft rolls them out slowly over time. Sometimes, you might not get the latest version because of some...
Meltdown & Spectre: DO NOT PANIC! Yet.
By popular demand! Meltdown and Spectre are the recently-publicized exploits that take advantage of flaws in modern processors. These flaws are big news, but what's the actual scoop? It turns out that they ARE a big deal, but with a few important caveats... Since the...