Rick's Daily Tips

Why I recommend buying your next laptop battery from Amazon

Posted on September 21, 2020

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Laptops are great! They give us plenty of computing power, yet they’re easy to carry along with us when we travel.

What’s more, we can use them virtually anywhere that our daily routine takes us!

But when the battery in your laptop will no longer hold a charge, it really limits your options when you need to fire it up and get some work done.

There are many places to buy replacement laptop batteries, but my favorite is Amazon. Why? There are several reasons: [Read more…]

Did you know you can buy a desktop PC and monitor for less than $200?

Posted on September 20, 2020

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Did you know you can buy a complete computer system on Amazon for less than $200?

Well, you can, and these are typically well-built business class machines!

You’ll find plenty of refurbished computer systems for sale on Amazon, many of which are indeed selling for between 100 and 200 bucks!

Of course these aren’t the latest technology machines, but they are in working order and well-suited for Internet use and many other everyday tasks such as running an office suite. [Read more…]

How to use the same ‘Downloads’ folder for ALL of your web browsers!

Posted on September 20, 2020

When you download a file using your web browser, the file is placed in a special “Downloads” folder where you can retrieve it and do as you wish with it.

If you use two or more different browsers on a regular basis, this can become quite confusing because each browser uses its own ‘downloads” folder.

And unfortunately, those downloads folders are typically located in different places on the hard drive.

I keep four different web browsers open at all times when I’m working because it makes the way I prefer to work easier to manage.

I only have one common downloads folder however (C:\Downloads\), and all of my browsers save their downloads in that one common folder. If you’d like to do the same thing, this post explains how to set it up. [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I add USB 3.0 ports to the front of my computer with an expansion card?

Posted on September 17, 2020

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Eric G.: I read your post about adding USB 3.0 ports to a PC that only has USB 2.0 on it. I’d like to do that but I have a question first.

My Gateway DX4860 desktop computer has two USB 2.0 ports on the front of the case. If I install a USB 3.0 expansion card will it add USB 3.0 to the front of my computer too or just on the back?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Starlink set to provide game-changing super-fast satellite Internet to the entire planet

Posted on September 14, 2020

By now you’re probably aware that SpaceX has become a major player in the world of space exploration with their successful collaboration on several projects with NASA.

But did you know they’re also preparing to make super-high-speed Internet available to the masses, regardless of where they might happen to live?

Once completed, SpaceX’s Starlink network of thousands of Internet-relaying satellites will be capable of supplying super-fast, low-latency broadband Internet to virtually any point on the Earth’s surface. [Read more…]