Rick's Daily Tips

Convert a regular light fixture into a ‘Dusk-to-Dawn’ fixture in seconds

Posted on September 22, 2025

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Do you have a light on your porch, carport or other area that you would like to have come on automatically at dusk and go off at dawn?

You could always replace your existing light fixture with a dusk-to-dawn fixture, but that would be a fairly expensive upgrade if you needed to hire an electrician to do the job for you.

Well, I have great news: You can easily convert any standard light fixture into a dusk-to-dawn light yourself by simply replacing the bulb. Yes, you read that right. Just replace the bulb! [Read more…]

How to prevent your laptop from getting stolen on campus (or anywhere else)

Posted on September 21, 2025

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These days, laptops are as common in our schools as backpacks, notebooks and pencils. In fact, most colleges (and many high schools) now require that every student own one.

Unfortunately, laptops also tend to disappear when you aren’t looking. In fact, many campus police departments receive more reports about stolen laptops than any other item.

Simply following just a few simple common-sense rules can help keep your laptop safe and sound regardless of where you might happen to be on campus. [Read more…]

How to enable ‘Enhanced Safe Browsing’ in Chrome

Posted on September 20, 2025

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Google Chrome is the world’s most popular web browser, and it isn’t even close.

There are several very good reasons why Chrome is used by so many people, one of which is the strong security that Google has built into it by default.

But did you know there’s a setting you can change in Chrome that will make your Internet activities even more secure? [Read more…]

Keeping your kids safe and connected: A parent’s guide to smartwatches

Posted on September 20, 2025

As a parent in today’s world, you’ve probably wondered how to give your child more independence while still keeping them safe. Maybe your 8-year-old has been asking for a phone like their older cousin, or perhaps you’re worried about your child walking to school alone.

I certainly understand that balancing freedom with safety is one of the toughest challenges parents face in today’s connected world.

The good news is that technology has evolved to help bridge this gap. GPS watches designed specifically for children offer a perfect middle ground between giving kids independence and keeping parents’ minds at ease. These devices are changing how families stay connected, and after researching the market extensively, I believe they represent one of the most practical tech solutions for modern parenting challenges. [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I convert an older hard drive into a USB drive?

Posted on September 18, 2025

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Question from Bruce: Rick, I have an old Windows XP computer with a bad power supply and there’s data on its hard drive that I really need to access.

Can I pull that drive from the machine and retrieve the data from it using a different PC, or is it more complicated than that?

[Read more…]