Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Why won’t my new RAM stick fit in my computer?

Posted on January 17, 2023

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from David: I recently bought a refurbished Dell desktop computer that came with 8GB of RAM installed. I want to double that to 16GB.

I ran the “Crucial System Scanner” you mentioned in this post and it said the machine can use up to 64GB of DDR4-2133 RAM.

I found an 8GB DDR4-2133 RAM stick on Ebay for less than half of what Crucial is selling them for so I bought it. I received the new RAM just 3 days after I ordered it but it won’t fit into one of the empty RAM sockets on the computer.

Do you think the problem is an error in the info I got from the System Scanner? [Read more…]

How to control a hard-wired light fixture with your phone

Posted on January 16, 2023

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

A while back I wrote a post explaining how to use a WeMo Mini Smart Plug to remotely control most anything you can plug into an electrical outlet.

I received a lot of feedback from that post, and several readers asked if there’s a way to control a hard-wired light fixture with a smart phone as well. [Read more…]

Q&A: How can I find a file I downloaded to my phone?

Posted on January 15, 2023

Question from James: A couple of nights ago I downloaded a whitepaper to my Android phone from one of my favorite websites but I can’t find the downloaded file.

I believe it’s on my phone somewhere because it said is downloaded successfully.

Can you tell me where to look for it? [Read more…]

How to log into WordPress when you can’t retrieve a Two-Factor Authentication code

Posted on January 14, 2023

Do you run a blog or website that’s powered by WordPress?

If so, you’re probably aware that hackers are constantly trying to break into WordPress sites and take them over so they can use them for nefarious purposes.

As you know, using a strong password will help prevent hackers from breaking in to your site’s WordPress Dashboard, but enabling Two-Factor Authentication on your account will add an extra, even stronger layer of protection. [Read more…]

Teach Siri how to pronounce a contact’s name correctly

Posted on January 13, 2023

Apple’s Siri virtual assistant certainly makes using an iPhone a lot easier, but just like us humans Siri has a few quirks.

One Siri quirk that drives me up the wall is how she tends to mis-pronounce some names on the Contacts List. For some reason it just grates on my nerves.

The good news is you can train Siri to pronounce difficult names correctly, using one of the two methods listed below: [Read more…]