How to Activate Windows or Office permanently in 30 seconds
Using Microsoft software can be quite an adventure. It's especially fun when your previously activated copy of Windows or Office decides to de-activate itself! Sometimes, the usual official routes of re-activation are useful. Other times, not so much... Isn't there a...
EEK! #4 – What the heck is Power Factor?
Power factor is one of those things that sounds really complicated, but it's pretty simple when you boil it down. And every now and then, knowing a little something about power factor comes in handy. In short, power factor is the ratio of the real power consumed by a...
Blank screen after upgrading graphics card: Uh-oh?
Let's say you upgrade the graphics card in your puter. You fire it up, and it appears that Windows 10 is booting. The hard drive light is blinking away, and you might even hear a startup sound, or you can see that your ethernet port light is blinking away madly. Only...
HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, VGA: Which cable should I use?
You'd think that connecting an LCD screen to your puter would be straightforward. You'd be wrong! It all gets pretty confusing. There are several types of connectors and cables, and it's difficult to know which one to use. Often, you can even use an adapter cable to...
Cryptocurrency hype and the future of blockchain technologies
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are the wave of the future, right? So why is all the latest news about their value in US dollars? Isn't that kind of backwards? Obviously, these new digital currencies have a ways to go... It doesn't help that the systems in...
How to customize your drive icons in Windows Explorer
People love to customize their puters. You want a certain color, a certain background wallpaper, and some people go so far as to use a theme that will even change icons. You may know about changing your removable drive icons, especially if you read my ancient article...
Where did the desktop icons like Computer and Network go in Windows 10?
So, you get a new puter running Windows 10. It's speedy, and Windows 10 doesn't look much different than Windows 7, so life is good. But then you notice a little problem: Many new computers come with only the standard Recycle Bin icon on the desktop. Computer / This...
Set up Windows File History and stop fighting with Backup and Restore
Okay, I admit: I was quite reluctant to try out the "new" File History backup system in Windows 10. In fact, just a few months ago in my article Windows Backup and Restore failed: Four fixes that work, I wrote: I suppose you could just be using File History, but...
What you need to know about Online Security
There are a few things you need to understand about staying safe and secure online. You need to realize what you're actually up against. But don't fret, because it's really not a big deal if you always keep in mind how things usually work. For example, e-mail is never...
Shrink your videos quickly and easily with HandBrake
Video is all the rage these days. Heck, even I started a YouTube channel! Even if you're not a "video author", you still probably record videos of family, friends, important events, and so on. The video files saved by most devices - including smartphones - is usually...
How does an electric tea kettle know when to turn off?
The age old question: How does your electric tea kettle know when to turn off? Is it electronic, or something simpler? It turns out the key is a bimetallic strip. At a certain, carefully adjusted temperature, the bimetallic strip will bend just enough such that right...
Stop OneDrive from popping up in Windows 10
OneDrive is Microsoft's "cloud storage" for Windows. Beginning with Windows 8, it was installed by default. If you didn't want it, you could easily disable it. Beginning with Windows 10 1703 - the "Creators Update" - the story changed a bit. OneDrive seems to keep...
EEK! #3 – 3-phase power
Why does AC electrical power come in 3 phases? What the heck is a "phase", anyway? In this episode of the EEK! Series, you'll learn about 3-phase power and its advantages. In short: fewer wires, more power, and the Earth itself is a conductor. In addition, 3-phase...
Batteries: Alkaline vs NiMH vs Lithium-ion
Ever wonder about the differences between alkaline, nickel metal hydride, and lithium-ion batteries? Wonder no more! Alkaline batteries are great for their initial higher voltage, but the total current available drops off (along with the voltage) over time. NiMH cells...
Click Farms and Social Media
Ah, click farms... Click farms are organizations that you can pay to boost you or your product on social media. They do their thing through the use of "bots" or semi-bots, which are automated systems to like, share, and otherwise promote something. But hang on, is...
The Amazing Candle Life Hack!
This isn't exactly "techie" in the traditional sense, but it does involve friction, and it's super-handy to know. Actually, I thought everyone knew about this, but apparently not. What to do when your wooden drawers are sticking? Easy! All you need is any old type of...