Your daily dose of practical, easy to follow tech tips!
As you probably know by now, Microsoft has officially stopped supporting both Windows XP and Windows Vista, leaving users pretty much on their own when it comes to system security and malware protection.
As expected, many of the most popular online services quickly started ending XP and Vista support as well, and the stream of companies taking that action is expanding month by month.
Apple is the latest company to jump on the “Dump XP and Vista” bandwagon. [Read more…]
Question from Anita K.: About 2 years ago I bought an old farmhouse that’s located way out in the country.
I love living here, but I have a serious problem that I hope you can help me find a solution for.
I get my water from a well, and every time the pump turns on my lights dim and other strange things happen.
I don’t know why but it’s causing my light bulbs to blow on a regular basis. I’ve also lost three TVs (all used if that makes a difference), several phone chargers, a wireless router and two computers.
Needless to say, I need to get this fixed as soon as possible. I called an electrician and they want $85 just to come out and check it.
I’m hoping you can tell me what I need to do. What do you think is causing it, and how can I fix it?
Rick’s answer: [Read more…]
Question from Billy P.: I dropped my Surface Pro 3 a few days ago and it shut off when it hit the floor.
I thought I had destroyed it for good but when I pressed the power button it started up just fine.
I used it three days in a row and everything seemed normal but last night I turned it on and nothing happened. No lights, no sounds, no nothing.
I’m hoping this is just a simple fix since it worked ok for a while after I dropped it.
Can you tell me how to get the back off of it and what to check once I get it opened up?
Rick’s answer: [Read more…]
Question from Caitlyn D.: In 2009 I started a book blog on WordPress.com. I blogged just for fun at the beginning, but then I started making some pretty good money from affiliate commissions.
I read an article a few days ago that said I should move my blog to my own domain if I’m serious about making money. Well, I am.
That same article also recommended that I use Hostgator to host my blog. I’d like to have your opinion about them. Do you recommend them for hosting a WordPress blog?
Rick’s answer: [Read more…]
Every day thousands of ebay auctions end without receiving a single bid, and many of these auctions are for valuable items that have a starting bid of $1 or less.
Why so low? Because lots of ebay sellers like to start their auctions off with a ridiculously low price with the hope that a bidding war will ensue and drive the price way above the item’s actual value.
Sometimes this strategy works, and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s a gamble, and the sellers know it. That’s why you shouldn’t feel guilty if you end up snagging a $50 item for 50 cents.
How do you track down these super bargains? Well, as luck would have it there is a very cool website for that: [Read more…]