Rick's Daily Tips

Rick’s Daily Pick: Daikin 24,000 BTU 19.5 SEER2 Aurora Low Ambient Mini-Split Heat Pump/Air Conditioner

Posted on November 13, 2026

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

My “Pick” for today is this fantastic Daikin 24,000 BTU 19.5 SEER2 Aurora Low Ambient Mini-Split Heat Pump/Air Conditioner.

Looking to install a heat pump but you don’t want to lay out the price of a new car or endure weeks of installation headaches? This high-quality mini-split costs a mere fraction of what you’d pay for a traditional heat pump.

It can easily be installed in just one day and it comes with a 12-year manufacturer warranty.

Click here to check out the Daikin 24,000 BTU 19.5 SEER2 Aurora Low Ambient Mini-Split Heat Pump/Air Conditioner at Amazon.

Did you miss (or want to revisit) one of my earlier picks? You might find it right here.

Picture of the Day: “Beautiful Day on the Farm”

Posted on November 13, 2026

Today’s POTD features a beautifully relaxing scene from rural Smyth County in southwestern Virginia. I hope you like it.

Are you interested in trying your hand at landscape photography? Well, this is a great camera to get hit the ground running with! (#ad)

Enjoy these Pictures of the Day? Sign up for my free Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter and you’ll never miss one (or any of my tech tips either)!

Monthly Tech Giveaway – November 2026

Posted on October 31, 2026

Note: The links on this page are affiliate links.

November’s winner will receive a fantastic SentrySafe Fireproof and Waterproof Large Safe with Digital Keypad.

Your computer backup drive(s), your important documents, your expensive jewelry and your other valuables are worth protecting. This is an excellent way to do it.

All subscribers to the Standard edition of my Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter have an equal chance to win.

Premium subscribers have two chances to win (their email addresses are added to the “pot” twice).

Not a subscriber? Just enter your email address in the sign-up form on this page.

Once subscribed you’ll be eligible to win each month’s drawing – starting with this month. Better yet, opt for a Premium subscription for double the chance to win!

The drawing for this month’s prize will be held on November 30 and the winner will be notified by email. The winner will be selected at random.

Good luck!

Why ‘bigger is better’ when shopping for a smartphone

Posted on November 13, 2026

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

When it comes to shopping for a smartphone, many folks simply accept as fact that they have to choose between size and convenience. But is that actually true? I really don’t think so.

While it’s true that larger phones are a bit more difficult to carry around and use when making a voice call, I believe that for most people that’s a sensible trade-off to make.

Why? Read on and I’ll explain…

[Read more…]

Charge your USB devices by plugging them directly into a wall outlet

Posted on November 12, 2026

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Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Do you ever wish you could charge your cell phone, tablet or other USB device simply by plugging it directly into a wall outlet without having to mess with a bulky wall charger?

Well, you can. All you have to do is replace one or more of your standard electrical outlets with a nifty USB Wall Charging Outlet.

You can purchase one of these inexpensive charging outlets, then hire an electrician or handy neighbor to install them for you. Actually, you can simply install them yourself if you possess basic electrical skills. [Read more…]

Windows users: Save time by skipping the clicking

Posted on November 11, 2026

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Ok, I’ll admit it. I’m impatient. Well, at least when it comes to getting things done on my computer.

After all, there are only so many hours in the day, right?

With that in mind, one of the best tips I’ve learned over the years is that the keyboard is often a lot faster and more efficient than the mouse.

I used to get frustrated at having to click through multiple layers of menus, click on the program I want to run and then scroll through a couple hundred filenames until I find the specific file I need to work with.

But these days in most cases I can just skip the mouse altogether except for one final click and be working with my file in mere seconds. Here’s how it’s done: [Read more…]