Rick's Daily Tips

How Internet access changes when you travel abroad

Posted on January 30, 2026

When you travel to a new country, you expect things to be different. You know the food will be unfamiliar, the shops will work different hours, and even the way people greet each other might be new. But what many travelers don’t consider is how different the internet can be abroad.

At home, getting online is usually a breeze. You just hop on your home Wi-Fi or use your mobile data, and you’re connected. But when you’re traveling, what was once a simple task can become a frustrating challenge, even for seasoned globetrotters. [Read more…]

Review: Qinlianf 5-Outlet Surge Protector and 4-Port USB Wall Charger

Posted on January 29, 2026

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Have you ever considered the convenience of having a 1680 joule surge protector plus a 4 port USB charger built right into one standard 120 volt electrical outlet? If so, this is exactly what you need and it won’t cost you a small fortune.

I’ve been using several Qinlianf 5-Outlet Surge Protector and 4-Port USB Wall Chargers in my home and office for years and I’ve recommended them several times as the featured tech gadget in my newsletter, but it just occurred to me this morning that I have never written a formal review of them. Well, here you go… [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I pick the best TV from a wall full of display models?

Posted on January 28, 2026

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Question from Sondra: I decided that I want to buy my husband a really nice TV for his birthday so I went to Walmart to pick one out.

What an exercise in confusion that turned out to be!

When I got to Walmart the TV section had dozens to choose from and the picture quality ranged from fair to really good, even on similar models.

How on earth is one to choose from all those different TV’s under those conditions? [Read more…]

Q&A: How can I quickly rename all the files in a folder on Windows?

Posted on January 27, 2026

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Question from Marge: I’ve recently begun dabbling in photography with an eye towards going pro at some point. I have a question for you if you don’t mind.

Is there a way to rename all the files in a certain folder to a common base name?

My camera always names the pictures with the same base filename but just changes the numbers on the end. That makes it hard to know what the pictures in a folder are of without looking at the pictures.

[Read more…]