Rick's Daily Tips

Your Apple device might qualify for a free replacement battery

Posted on March 26, 2026

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If you happen to have an Apple device that’s covered by an AppleCare Protection Plan, it might already qualify to receive a new battery at no charge under the plan.

In years past, Apple would make you wait until a covered device’s battery degraded to the point where it would only retain 50% or less of its rated maximum charge before they would replace the battery under AppleCare. But they have since upped that threshold to 80%.

The 80% threshold applies to the batteries in all AppleCare covered Macs, regardless of how old the machine happens to be. Apple mobile devices purchased after April 10, 2015 qualify as well.

Bottom line: If you own an AppleCare covered Mac, you should check to see if its battery will retain at least 80% of its maximum charge.

If it won’t, I recommend that you request a free replacement battery under AppleCare. You should also do the same for any other covered Apple devices.

Bottom line: New batteries are wonderful things because they allow you to use your devices longer between battery charges.

If you can get a new one installed in your device for free under AppleCare, why not do it now and reap the benefits of that expensive AppleCare Protection Plan?

Bonus tip: This post explains how to quickly determine the warranty status of your Mac, iPhone, iPad or any other Apple device.

Scam alert: Beware fake ads for concert and event tickets

Posted on March 25, 2026

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As you probably know, ticket prices for concerts, professional sporting events, theme parks and a wide variety of other public events are astronomical these days.

Never ones to miss an opportunity, scammers are now running fake ads for deeply discounted tickets on social media sites and sending fraudulent emails hawking them to millions of email inboxes.

As usual, taking the bait and responding to these fake ads or fraudulent emails can have a number of detrimental effects, including all the following, and more: [Read more…]

Baby and Pet-Friendly Pest Control: Safe Tips for a Healthy Home

Posted on March 25, 2026

Pests can be a serious nuisance in any household. From ants marching across your kitchen counters to spiders hiding in corners, unwanted intruders not only create discomfort but can also pose health risks.

For homes with babies and pets, pest control becomes even more critical because traditional pesticides and chemicals can be harmful to children and animals.

Fortunately, there are safe, effective strategies that protect your home without putting your loved ones at risk. Here’s a comprehensive guide to baby- and pet-friendly pest control.

[Read more…]

Q&A: Why won’t a site load in Chrome when it loads fine in other browsers?

Posted on March 24, 2026

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Question from Chantelle: Last night my Facebook just froze up and stopped responding to my mouse and keyboard.

I closed the browser and then reopened it but Facebook wouldn’t load at all. It gave me a “500 Internal Server Error” and just sat there. I tried over and over with the same result. I even tried rebooting the computer.

The thing is I can open Facebook just fine in other browsers, but I’m used to Chrome and I’d really like to use it with Facebook.

Can you tell me how to fix this? [Read more…]

Q&A: Does Google really fine people for spamming with Gmail?

Posted on March 23, 2026

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Question from Beverly: Google sent me an email saying my Gmail account was caught sending spam.

They said I have to pay a $250 fine within 48 hours or my Gmail address will be permanently shut down.

This seems like a scam to me, but the email looks real and I can’t afford to take a chance on losing my Gmail address. Everything I do online is linked to that address.

My question: Is this email legit? [Read more…]