Explorer STILL won’t refresh? Use Brute Force…
One year ago, I said this: "If you’re having trouble with files/folders not appearing until you refresh the folder view with a tap on F5, then you’ve been hit by the dreaded Explorer Doesn’t Refresh Automatically bug Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to fix. Behold: Three...
Convert your Windows 10 boot drive from MBR to GPT
In the olden days, your puter had a BIOS. Nowadays, the BIOS is rapidly giving way to UEFI, which provides all kinds of benefits. At the same time, hard drives have sort of evolved, so now we're supposed to use GPT instead of MBR. Well, okay... First of all, what does...
Waterproof cable and wire splicing made easy
If you've ever accidentally chopped through a wire or electrical cable, you know how much fun it can be to try to repair it so that it stays waterproof, dust proof, weatherproof, etc. I recently had just such a fun experience myself. It turns out that there are quite...
What you need to know about Windows 10 Fall Creators Update 1709
The Windows 10 "Fall Creators Update" version 1709 was released not long ago. Chances are, if you don't have it already, you'll be getting it soon. Naturally, there are some new features and stuff, but nothing that most people will get all excited about. It's just yet...
DIY Ultrasonic Fuel Gauge / Level Sensor
If you have a fuel or water tank that is either metal or colored plastic, you may have run into the same problem I had: How do you know when it's empty? Mechanical level gauges are nice, but not always practical or even possible. So, I went on the hunt for an...
Slow copy speeds with USB 3? No problem!
USB is totally awesome, and USB 3.0+ is even more awesome. With real-world data transfer rates of 400MB/s or more, copying files to external USB sticks and drives has never been more fun. Only one problem, and I've noticed this A LOT: People are using USB3, but...
PikaJS: Think jQuery but smaller, lighter, and just as easy to use
(Updated February 2021 for PikaJS 1.2) Introducing PikaJS: a jQuery-like JavaScript library that simplifies the client-side scripting of HTML. I had been using jQuery and PrototypeJS, and I needed to ditch PrototypeJS at long last. My colleague Michael Franzl said,...
Easily trace wires with the Voltcraft LZG-1 / Extech CT40
There are many ways to trace a bunch of wires from point A to point B. Most of them kinda suck for one reason or another. Enter the Voltcraft LZG-1 / Extech CT40! With this gizmo, you can trace up to 16 wires at once. The system uses a remote unit with 17 alligator...
The New and Improved Firefox, complete with built-in Firefox Screenshots
Back in the day, Firefox was the web browser to use. Then came Google's Chrome, and suddenly ~50% of internet users are using that, instead. There were many good reasons for this switch, including the fact that Google did a lot of work to make Chrome very fast. It's...
You’re throwing things away wrong!
Everyone likes to throw things away. But nobody likes the sight of an overflowing trash or recycling bin, and even fewer people like to take out the trash. What if I were to tell you that with a simple Life Hack, you could save bin space and time? What would you pay...
You’re using your Extension Cord Reel wrong!
Extension cord reels, or rolly cords as I like to call them, are seriously handy. Nobody likes spending 30 minutes untangling a 50m extension cord. Trouble is, usually we use them incorrectly! It turns out you have to read the fine print: You can only use the full...
Tablet Mode, or What the heck happened to my Desktop?!
You're using Windows 10, minding your own business... Suddenly, after clicking something near the system tray in the lower right corner of your screen, you are met with the weirdest desktop you've ever seen. Your Start Screen tiles are displayed on your desktop,...
DEAR GOD the circuit breaker keeps tripping – What to do?!
First, remain calm. Second, watch this video! A tripping circuit breaker or GFCI/RCD/differential breaker can be really annoying. It normally doesn't happen. When it does, the end result can be that you run around the room with your undies on your head, screaming like...
Malwarebytes for Mac is definitely worth it now
Those of you who use Windows are probably aware of Malwarebytes, which happens to be my favorite anti-malware protection app. Back in December, I wrote about the improvements in the software in Malwarebytes 3: You might need to manually upgrade. What you might not...
EEK! #5 – Breaker Panels aren’t so scary after all
I usually see people freak out when they open the door of their circuit breaker panel. No more! Note that I'm using European breakers and EU-type panel design as my example, so if you're in North America or certain other countries, you're not gonna see the same thing....
How to disable telemetry and improve your privacy in Windows – again
You may recall a post I made a couple of years ago: Another privacy fix, this time for Windows 7, 8, and 10 At some point after that a new update was released - and it's not clear when since the dates on the Windows update web pages don't seem to correspond to...