Rick's Daily Tips

Want to receive an alert every time your blog goes down?

Posted on October 24, 2023

One of a blogger’s worst nightmares is having a busy blog go down and stay down for several hours. That happened to me a while back with this very blog.

I woke up one morning and discovered that RicksDailyTips.com wouldn’t load in my browser. It was completely “dead in the water” as the old saying goes.

I tried loading a couple of other blogs that reside on the same server, only to be met with the same depressing result. The server had obviously gone belly-up at some point during the overnight hours. [Read more…]

5 reasons to convert PDF to Word files in the workplace

Posted on October 24, 2023

When working at an individual or business level, you must always be prepared to complete document and file handling tasks.

Sometimes, you are assigned to convert PDF to Word, Word to PDF, and more to make communication and collaboration more seamless. [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I disable the Promotions tab in Gmail?

Posted on October 23, 2023

Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter

Question from Kevin: I hope you can help me with a Gmail problem, Rick.

I subscribe to several email newsletters (including yours), and almost all of them always end up in the “Promotions” tab instead of the Inbox.

That includes the newsletters I pay for, and I’m really tired of it.

I’ve selected “Not Promotions” so many times but Gmail ignores my choice and keeps on putting them in Promotions anyway.

I heard that I can disable the Promotions tab altogether so the newsletters will always go into my Inbox, but I can’t find that setting. Can you help me? [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I block all websites from accessing my location?

Posted on October 23, 2023

Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter

Question from Linda: I hate it when a website I’m visiting pops up a little box asking me to let them know my location.

I always click “Don’t allow” every time I get that message, but I’d really like to stop receiving them in the first place.

Can you tell me what I need to do to stop websites from even asking for my location? [Read more…]

Why your computer really needs a battery backup device

Posted on October 22, 2023

Rick’s Tech Tips Newsletter

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Battery backup devices have been around for decades now, but relatively few computer owners use them. And based upon my experience, that is a mistake.

What are battery backups (and why do I need one)?

If you’re unfamiliar with how it works, a battery backup unit basically sits idly by monitoring the power line for voltage drops and power outages.

When an issue with the power line occurs, the power source to the computer is switched virtually instantaneously from line power (electrical outlet) to the unit’s internal battery. This prevents the computer from losing power.

Why is preventing your computer from losing power important? Well, there are several reasons: [Read more…]