Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Lightning destroyed my cable modem. Should I replace my router too?

Posted on May 21, 2020

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Kendra D.: Hi Rick. We had a pretty bad thunderstorm last night that caused a lot of damage in my area.

Once I noticed the lightning I turned everything off like I always do when it’s storming and then went on to bed.

This morning when I turned everything back on I couldn’t get the cable box or the modem to light up at all. They’re completely dead.

I called the cable company and they’re sending a technician out to replace the cable box and modem.

What I need to know is do you think I need to buy a new router too? It lights up like it always did and it appears to be working.

I’ll take whatever advice you give me because I trust you. Thanks for helping me.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Protect your Mac from viruses and other security threats with Avast Free Mac Security

Posted on May 18, 2020

One of Apple’s most successful marketing claims has always been that simply owning a Mac instead of a PC can help keep your computer safe from malware.

For many years that claim was valid, but unfortunately that’s no longer the case.

Recent studies indicate that the number of successful malware attacks on Macs has skyrocketed in recent years, and the problem is getting worse by the day.

And truth be told, Macs aren’t really as resistant to malware as previously thought.

Of course there’s still a LOT more malware out there targeting Windows PCs than Macs, but that’s little consolation considering it only takes one malware infection to ruin your entire day, especially if you get it by ransomware. [Read more…]

Photoshop Express: A great free app for editing photos on your phone or tablet

Posted on May 11, 2020

The cameras built into modern smart phones and tablets are getting better all the time, and many of those devices already take photos that are at least as good as those taken with consumer-grade point-and-shoot cameras.

Now that most of us are carrying such capable cameras around with us 24/7, doesn’t it make sense to have a great photo editing app on our devices as well? [Read more…]

Q&A: Do you think I should have a 7 year old TV repaired?

Posted on May 8, 2020

Question from Marie P.: I have a 7 year old Sony 55-Inch Sony LCD TV that I like better than any TV I’ve ever owned.

The 55 inch size is just perfect for my living room, but now I can’t use it because it’s torn up.

My kids were horsing around and knocked it to the floor and now there’s a long crack across the screen.

The TV will turn on but there’s no picture. The screen just stays black. I can hear the sound though.

My question is do you think it would be cost effective to have this TV repaired or should I just grit my teeth and buy a new one?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

How to recover accidentally deleted files in Windows 10 with MiniTool Power Data Recovery software

Posted on May 2, 2020

Accidentally getting some files permanently deleted from the computer’s Recycle Bin is something that happens to everyone from time to time.

The consequences can be disastrous if the lost files are very important like a video you’ve spent hours editing, a long Word file, a business-related PDF, or even some old family photos.

And as you can imagine, emptying all the files from the Recycle Bin makes things even worse!

If you don’t have any luck finding the missing files in the Recycle Bin and you don’t have it backed up somewhere, you can always recover deleted files using remo recover.

[Read more…]