Rick's Daily Tips

Rick’s Daily Pick: Matein 2-in-1 Women’s Laptop Backpack and Detachable Laptop Sleeve

Posted on October 5, 2026

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

My “Pick” for today is this attractive and well-made Matein 2-in-1 Women’s Laptop Backpack and Detachable Laptop Sleeve.

If you travel with a laptop you really need to protect it with a sturdy backpack that’s made specifically for laptops.

I’ve been using and recommending Matein backpacks for years and this one is a great value.

It’s actually a 2-in-1 deal because it comes with a detachable laptop sleeve that adds an extra layer of protection for your expensive laptop. And when you need to travel light you can use the sleeve without the backpack.

Click here to check out this Matein 2-in-1 Women’s Laptop Backpack and Detachable Laptop Sleeve at Amazon.

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

Picture of the Day: “Smoky Mountain Splendor”

Posted on October 5, 2026

Today’s POTD features another of the numerous beautiful waterfalls found all along the length of the Smoky Mountain range. This one is in western North Carolina. 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 – October 2026

Posted on September 30, 2026

Note: The links on this page are affiliate links.

October’s winner will receive a fantastic DZVW Laptop Triple Screen Extender 15.6″.

This gem will literally triple your laptop’s screen space by adding an extra 15.6″ monitor on either side of your laptop’s existing screen.

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

Good luck!

Q&A: How can I keep the scrollbars always visible in Windows 11?

Posted on October 5, 2026

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Question from Eileen: I just got my first Windows 11 computer and it looks a lot different that Windows 10.

Most of the changes are ok but I hate how the scrollbars are hidden in some apps until I move my mouse over to the right.

Is there any way to make the scrollbars remain visible all the time in Windows 11? [Read more…]

Extend your iPhone’s battery life and protect your privacy (with one Settings change)

Posted on October 4, 2026

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Does it seem like your iPhone’s battery has a habit of dying sooner than it should?

There are many variables that determine how quickly an iPhone’s battery will drain, some of which are out of your control.

But luckily, there’s one battery hog that you can disable with a few taps that could make the difference between your battery lasting the entire day or dying on you at the worst possible moment…

[Read more…]

Q&A: What exactly is backed up when you make a System Image Backup?

Posted on October 3, 2026

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Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Olivene: I spent several minutes reading your posts that explain how to create System Image Backups on Windows computers, but I’m a little confused.

I had Carbonite backing up my files for a couple of years and they didn’t back up any of my Windows files.

I learned that the hard way after my hard drive crashed on me. [Read more…]