Rick's Daily Tips

Tech Tips, Tricks and Tutorials

Tips and information on...
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Q&A: Do I really need a surge protector for my computer?

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Question from Shelby A.:  The salesman that sold me my new computer said I won’t need to plug it into a surge protector because the power supply automatically protects it from over-voltage. Is he right?

I don’t want my computer get damaged by lightning but I also don’t want to buy something I don’t need.

I’ve always heard that we do need to use surge protectors but now I’m not sure.

Could clear this up for me? I’d really appreciate it.

Rick’s answer:  [Read more…]

Scam alert: Don’t fall for the ‘Please tell all contacts in your Messenger list…’ Facebook hoax

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Well, an old familiar Facebook hoax is making the rounds again.

This time around it’s being spread primarily via chat and instant messages, and unfortunately it seems to be spreading like wildfire.

As usual, there are several variations of this scam, and you will probably end up receiving several of them before this round of the scam runs its course.

But the above being said, the text typically reads something like this:  [Read more…]

Did you know you can shop at Amazon and pay cash?

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Have you always wanted to take advantage of Amazon’s great deals and awesome selection of merchandise but didn’t because you don’t feel comfortable with using your credit or debit card to shop online?

Well, truth be told, there are actually a couple of easy ways to shop at Amazon without having to give them your card info.

In fact, I wrote a post a while back that explains how to buy Amazon gift cards locally and use them to shop at the Amazon website.

Well there’s another way to shop online at Amazon without having to use a credit card: Pay with cash!

Yes, you read that correctly. You can actually shop at the world’s largest online retailer and pay cash for your purchases! Here’s how: [Read more…]

8 tips for safely banking and shopping online

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Banking and shopping online really can save you a bunch of time and money, but unfortunately it can also put your financial information and your identity at risk of being stolen.

Online fraud and identity theft are very real concerns, and the dangers seem to be increasing by the day.

But that being said, there are a few simple steps you can take to make shopping and banking online about as safe as buying groceries at your local super-market.

Here a just a few of them:  [Read more…]

Why you (probably) need an external USB optical drive

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If your family is like mine, you probably have a stack of CDs or DVDs containing numerous photos, videos, music or other precious files that can never be replaced.

Would you be heart-broken if you ever lost access to those precious, irreplaceable files?  [Read more…]

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