Rick's Daily Tips

Rick’s Daily Pick: Pecron E1500LFP 1536Wh/2200W Portable Power Station w/ 200W Solar Panel

Posted on September 26, 2026

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

My “Pick” for today is this fantastic Pecron E1500LFP 1536Wh/2200W Portable Power Station w/ 200W Solar Panel.

Winter is just around the corner and that means snow and ice will be bringing down power lines all across the country. Are you prepared for your next extended power outage?

This will keep your fridge, freezer, CPAP machine, TV or computer gear powered up for several hours, giving the power company time to get the grid back online. And if the power is off for days you can recharge it with the included solar panel.

Click here to check out the Pecron E1500LFP 1536Wh/2200W Portable Power Station w/ 200W Solar Panel at Amazon.

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

Picture of the Day: “Big Sable Point Lighthouse”

Posted on September 26, 2026

Today’s POTD features Big Sable Point Lighthouse on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Unlike many historic lighthouses, this one is still in use as an active navigation aid. 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 – September 2026

Posted on July 31, 2026

Note: The links on this page are affiliate links.

September’s winner will receive a fantastic CyberPower 1500VA/1000W Sinewave UPS Battery Backup / Surge Protector.

This will keep your computer, modem and router online for a full hour after your power goes out, preventing a dangerous instant shutdown that could damage your computer gear and cause you to lose any unsaved data that’s currently in the machine’s RAM.

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 September 30 and the winner will be notified by email. The winner will be selected at random.

Good luck!

Q&A: Why did they give Bluetooth technology that odd name?

Posted on September 26, 2026

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Question from Ken: I know that Bluetooth is the wireless signal that connects smartphones to speakers and other portable devices.

What I’m curious about is why did they choose the name Bluetooth?

That seems like a really odd name for something to do with technology. [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I set Windows 11’s Power Mode to ‘Best Performance’?

Posted on September 25, 2026

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Question from Keegan: I recently updated my PC from Windows 10 to Windows 11.

With Windows 10 I had the power mode set to “Best Performance”, but I can’t figure out how to change it in Windows 11.

I could be imagining things, but it seems like Microsoft made a lot of changes to the Windows interface.

How do I set my computer’s power setting to “Best Performance” now that Windows 11 is on it? [Read more…]

Why you should never run two antivirus apps at the same time

Posted on September 24, 2026

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I’m often asked to remove viruses and other forms of malware from ailing computers, and many of those machines are running two or more antivirus programs at once.

The problem is, when it comes to antivirus apps, more is not better. I know that probably sounds like it can’t be true, but it actually is.

Before I discuss why that is, here’s a quick overview of the two primary types of anti-malware programs: [Read more…]