Rick's Daily Tips

Scam alert: Beware this dangerous ‘Mother’s Day’ coupon scam

Posted on April 16, 2025

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Well, the scammers never seem to take a break on Facebook, and right now they’re striking extra hard while everyone’s hunkered down at home and spending a lot of time on the Internet.

Scammers love to strike during special events and holidays because they know that many of us have our guard down during those times.

Every year at this time the insidious “Lowe’s Mother’s Day Coupon Scam” starts making the rounds again, and right on schedule it’s back for 2025. This is how the scam works: [Read more…]

Use your old smartphone or tablet as a wireless security camera

Posted on April 15, 2025

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Like most households these days, yours probably has one or more old smartphones and/or tablets that were retired to a junk drawer after upgrading to a new device.

Well, here’s a little tip for putting those outdated, but completely functional devices to good use… [Read more…]

Is your CPU holding you back? Use a PC Bottleneck Calculator to find out

Posted on April 15, 2025

When you’re building or upgrading your PC, there’s always the nagging question: Will it bottleneck? As gaming and computing power continue to evolve, ensuring your system runs smoothly can be tricky.

A PC bottleneck calculator can help determine whether your CPU or GPU is holding you back from reaching peak performance. This simple tool can take the guesswork out of your system’s capabilities, saving you both time and money.

Many PC users are familiar with the term “bottleneck,” but what does it actually mean? It refers to a limitation in one component that hinders the overall performance of your PC. For example, if your CPU is too slow to keep up with your GPU, you’ll experience reduced frame rates and lag, even though your GPU is capable of much more. Understanding where these bottlenecks occur is crucial for anyone serious about optimizing their PC. [Read more…]

Q&A: Is it safe to keep my laptop plugged in all the time?

Posted on April 13, 2025

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Question from Chris: I’ve asked this question of several people who should know and received several conflicting answers.

I guess this is one of those things that boils down more to opinion than science.

I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while now and I think you really know what you’re talking about, so I thought I’d ask your opinion on it.

[Read more…]