Search Results for: solar

Monday, September 27, 2021 – Q&A: What does it mean to ‘brick your phone’? – Why you need to make both local and cloud backups

Posted on September 27, 2021

Hello, and welcome…

Rick’s Daily Tips Tech Update for Monday, September 27, 2021.

Topics covered in this issue…

• Why you still need to make local backups if you use a cloud backup service

• Q&A: What does the phrase ‘brick your phone’ mean?

• Here’s the best way to open a link in a new browser tab

• Q&A: Should I leave the ‘Page File’ on the SSD or move it to the hard drive?

• Meet Curbside Larry, a Texas librarian who obviously watched one-too-many car commercials

• Info about my photo / file recovery service

[Read more…]

Q&A: How’s the best way to keep my iPhone charged up during a 3 day camping trip?

Posted on August 27, 2015

Question from Eileen J.: Hi Rick. My husband and I are planning a three day camping trip in the Alabama woods for a little over a month from now.

I know I’ll end up spending a lot of time Facebooking and playing games on my iPhone while we’re there because I always get bored after just a couple of hours.

My problem is my phone’s battery always dies on the first day and I don’t have a way to charge it back up. Can you tell me the best way to keep it charged for the entire three days without having to spend an arm and a leg?

We’ll have a usable cell signal where we’re going, but we won’t have an electrical outlet to plug a charger into or handy access to our vehicle for using a car charger. Thanks for any advice you can give me.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Check out this jacket that can charge your mobile devices. Yes, really.

Posted on December 9, 2014

I guess you could file this one under the “Now I’ve seen it all!” category.

Clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger is now selling a jacket that comes with detachable solar panels that produce electricity for charging the mobile devices that you carry around in your pockets.

Regular readers of this blog are well aware that I’m all about innovations in technology, but there are just some innovations that are perfectly welcome to pass me by. And a solar panel jacket is one of them.

Don’t get me wrong – I can see the benefits of having your clothing power your gadgets, but it just seems to me like there are tons of alternative options out there that are a lot less expensive and, quite frankly, a lot more attractive. [Read more…]