Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Are SSDs just as reliable as hard drives?

Posted on February 26, 2024

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Wesley: Hi, Rick. I hope you’re doing well.

I recently read your post about speeding up a computer by replacing the hard drive with a much faster solid state drive (SSD).

I’m leaning towards doing this but I have one concern that’s holding me back.

I’m worried that an SSD might not be as reliable as a hard drive, and I really can’t afford to lose my files if it were to crash on me.

What’s your opinion on this? Are SSDs as reliable as hard drives? [Read more…]

Q&A: Is a 6 digit PIN really all that much more secure than 4 digits?

Posted on February 25, 2024

Question from Andy: My girlfriend and I have a bet that’s riding on your answer to this question:

Is a six digit PIN really all that more secure than a four digit PIN?

It don’t seem like just two digits could make that much of a difference. She says it makes a big difference if someone ever tries to break into my phone.

So who’s right? [Read more…]

Q&A: Should I choose Credit or Debit when using my debit card?

Posted on February 25, 2024

Question from Felicia: I use my debit card to pay for almost everything, and I have a question about it.

When I pay for something with my debit card the card reader usually gives me a choice between “Credit” and “Debit”.

I usually choose debit because it’s a debit card, not a credit card.

My question is which should I choose? [Read more…]

Q&A: Are WiFi and the Internet the same thing?

Posted on February 24, 2024

Question from Beverly: I’ve always thought that Internet and WiFi were just two names for the same thing, but someone told me they were different.

Is that true? If it is, what’s the difference?

Rick’s answer: What that person told you is accurate, Beverly.

While WiFi and the Internet are frequently used together, they are in fact completely different technologies that serve two very different purposes. [Read more…]

Q&A: What exactly is the ‘Internet of Things’?

Posted on February 24, 2024

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Beverly: I hope you can clear something up for me, Rick.

I consider myself to be fairly tech savvy for my age but I have no idea what people mean when they use the term “Internet of Things”, or “IoT”.

It seems like I see that term in a news article or on some website just about every day. Can you explain to me what it means? [Read more…]