Reviews Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Review: Bertech 2’x3′ Anti-Static Mat Kit

Posted on July 21, 2021

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Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

If you work on computers or other electronic items, you really need a high-quality anti-static mat to protect your gear’s sensitive electronic components from static electricity.

I’ve used a number of different anti-static mats over the years. Some of them were good, some of them not so good.

I’m always eager to try new out ones, and here’s one of the best I’ve ever used: the Bertech 2’x3′ Anti-Static Mat Kit with Wrist Strap and Grounding Cord. [Read more…]

Review: SimpliSafe Wireless Home Security System

Posted on July 20, 2021

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

It’s no secret that we live in a dangerous world.

Sadly, burglaries and home invasions have become commonplace in recent years, and the problem seems to be getting worse instead of better.

Several major companies have been providing homeowners with home security hardware and monitoring services for decades, but the solutions they offer tend to be on the expensive side.

What’s more, most of them require professional installation.

A while back I started seeing advertisements for SimpliSafe, a “Do-It-Yourself” security system that doesn’t require professional installation. I decided to check them out, and for the most part I was quite impressed. This is what I learned… [Read more…]

Review: WP Rocket (WordPress Caching Plugin)

Posted on July 15, 2021

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

I’ve been blogging for the better part of a decade and I thought I knew pretty much everything I needed to know about the technical side of working with WordPress.

One of the most important things I’ve learned over the years is how critical it is to have a good caching plugin installed on your blog.

Simply put, if your blog doesn’t have a caching plugin working 24/7 to serve static pages to its visitors it’s going to lag behind its competitors in two very important ways: [Read more…]

Review: Anker PowerCore 20100mAh Portable Charger

Posted on June 30, 2021

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Modern technology and the abundance of mobile devices we have at our disposal are great, but keeping all of our gadgets charged up and ready for use when we need them can be a challenge.

But that challenge is a lot easier to meet with a powerful USB charger and external battery pack combo.

I’m always eager to test and review new portable charging devices, and I recently had the opportunity to put a true powerhouse to the test. [Read more…]

Review: iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit

Posted on June 28, 2021

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Back in the golden age of technology, you really didn’t need all that many tools in order to build, upgrade or repair computers and many other tech items.

If you owned a couple of screwdrivers, an anti-static wrist strap and a nut driver or two you could work on most any tech item. But today, things are a lot more complicated.

The way modern computers, monitors and mobile devices are constructed makes it virtually impossible to work on some items without specialized tools that can “crack open” a case or extract a part without causing physical damage to the item.

As you probably know, finding a kit with all the tools required to safely and efficiently work on a piece of tech hardware is pretty difficult without spending a small fortune.

[Read more…]