Rick's Daily Tips

Lock down your PC with these essential Windows 10 privacy settings

Posted on May 13, 2016

If you’ve been running Windows 10 for a while you have probably already decided whether you like it or not.

I started using the “Technical Preview” version several months ago, and now that I’ve had a chance to use the final release version for a while I can tell you that I really like Windows 10.

But as much as I like it, there are some things about Windows 10 that I’m not all that crazy about. One of the things that irritates me the most is how Microsoft has configured many of Windows 10’s default Privacy Settings to gather as much info about your Windows and Internet usage as possible. [Read more…]

How to control your mobile data usage when watching Netflix on your mobile device

Posted on May 13, 2016

The folks at Netflix recently changed the way they stream content to mobile devices over cellular data networks.

After spending considerable time testing various data rates, Netflix determined that a streaming rate of 600 Kbps per second provides the user with good video quality while consuming a smaller portion of your cellular plan’s monthly data allotment.

But what if Netflix’s interpretation of “good video quality” differs from yours?

Luckily, you can easily increase the video quality of the shows and movies you watch on your mobile device by increasing the streaming rate from Netflix’s new default rate of 600 Kbps per second. [Read more…]

Review: Vido W8X 8″ Windows 10 Tablet PC

Posted on May 10, 2016

I’ve used a number of tablets in the past, and as expected, some were better than others.

While I love my Android phone, I’m not a huge fan of Android-powered tablets. They just seem to be too limited for my tastes. And while Apple’s iPad line is outstanding, they’re a bit over-priced in my opinion.

Since I primarily use tablets when I’m traveling, I’d rather take along something that’s a little less expensive just in case it gets lost or stolen.

Personally, I prefer to use a tablet that runs Microsoft Windows.

I can add a keyboard cover and Bluetooth mouse and have a Windows tablet that works exactly like a really small laptop. That’s perfect for traveling since I can just toss it into a suitcase. [Read more…]

Updates to Windows 10 on older PCs have slowed to a trickle

Posted on May 4, 2016

As you probably know, Microsoft has become extremely aggressive with their attempts to push the free Windows 10 upgrade onto reluctant Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users.

Since its official release in July 2015, Windows 10 has gained market share at a healthy clip each and every month as users decided to take advantage of the free upgrade deal while it was still available.

But apparently users weren’t upgrading fast enough to meet Microsoft’s long-term goals, so they decided to change the Windows Update procedure to make the update to Windows 10 virtually automatic. [Read more…]