Rick's Daily Tips

Rick’s Daily Pick: iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

Posted on August 17, 2026

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

My “Pick” for today is this fantastic iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit.

Sites like YouTube and IFIXIT make it possible (and in many cases easy) to make a wide variety of repairs and upgrades to laptops, desktop computers and even mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

But in order to complete those repairs and upgrades you’ll need a toolkit that includes all the specialized tools required to work on modern electronic devices. This pro-level tech toolkit from IFIXIT is a great choice.

Click here to check out the iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit at Amazon.

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

Picture of the Day: “Springtime in Southwestern Virginia”

Posted on August 17, 2026

Today’s POTD features a throwback to a beautiful spring day in rural Smyth County, VA. I hope you like it.

Have lots of treasured photos of your own that you’d love to display in your home but you have limited wall space? A digital picture frame (#ad) is an excellent solution. Check them out!

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 – August 2026

Posted on July 31, 2026

Note: The links on this page are affiliate links.

August’s winner will receive a fantastic Ambient Weather WS-2000 Smart Weather Station with Wi-Fi Remote Monitoring and Alerts.

If you’re a weather buff like I am you’ll love this personal weather station. It’ll keep you up-to-date on what’s happening outside your own home in real time.

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 August 31 and the winner will be notified by email. The winner will be selected at random.

Good luck!

Q&A: I need either a WiFi Extender or a Mesh WiFi system. Which one should I get?

Posted on August 17, 2026

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Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Amanda: I bought a smart TV for my living room but the WiFi in there is too weak to maintain a solid connection.

There’s enough signal in there for my laptop and tablet to use the Internet with no problem, but it just doesn’t allow the streaming to work as it should.

I’ve been doing some research about ways to boost the signal on that end of the house and I keep seeing the terms “Wi-Fi Extender” and “Mesh WiFi Systems”.

I’m really confused about these devices. What’s the difference between them and which one should I get? [Read more…]

3 reasons why you should delete your old emails

Posted on August 16, 2026

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There was a time when I used to keep every email I received that wasn’t SPAM because I mistakenly thought I might need to pull them up again at some point.

But over time my thinking on that evolved – a lot.

If you tend to hold on to all of your old emails thinking you might need them in the future, here are three reasons why you might want to reconsider: [Read more…]

Windows: How to quickly display the System Information screen using the keyboard

Posted on August 15, 2026

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If your computer runs Microsoft Windows, chances are you have viewed the System Information screen more than once.

This screen contains lots of need-to-know information about your PC’s hardware and Operating System as well as links to some of the most critical Windows system tools. [Read more…]