Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Would you recommend setting up my own web server?

Posted on May 13, 2017

Question from Paul: I have three blogs (each in a different niche) that currently receive anywhere from 4,000 to 20,000 visitors per month. The two largest blogs have started loading really slow.

All three blogs have been hosted with Godaddy for about four years now. I know it’s time to move them to a dedicated server but the cheapest plan I can find is way out of my budget.

My question is do you think it would be a good idea to move them onto my own server? I have a spare Gateway DX4860-UB32P with 8Gigs of RAM that I can install Red Hat Linux and Apache on. I also have a 60 Mbps Internet connection with Charter.

Do you think this would be a good setup to replace my Godaddy hosting? I make a couple of hundred bucks from my blogs each month but I’d like to eventually make it full time and quit my job so I don’t want to make a big mistake.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

ATTN iPhone Users: Your favorite app might stop working after Apple releases iOS 11.

Posted on May 12, 2017

Do you have a favorite app that you’ve been using on your iPhone or other iOS device for years?

If so, there’s a chance that it might stop working after you update your device to iOS 11 after it’s released this fall.

Apple is planning to end support for legacy 32 bit apps beginning with the release of iOS 11. That means any 32 bit apps that you’re currently using will stop working on your devices after you update them to iOS 11. [Read more…]

How to get $20,000 worth of Android apps & games for free

Posted on May 11, 2017

If you have an Android device you probably already know about the countless apps and games that you can download for free from the Google Play Store.

The thing is, many of those “free” apps and games aren’t really free at all since they come with ads and/or require in-app purchases to unlock some of the best features. [Read more…]

Why you should never blow dust out of your PC with an air compressor

Posted on May 10, 2017

Over time your computer’s fans will almost certainly draw enough dust inside the case to partially or completely cover the components and block air from flowing around the various parts.

This is not good as it allows heat to build up inside the components, and heat leads to both intermittent program errors and eventual hardware failure.

It’s important to remove any built-up dust from the inside of your computer on a regular basis, and the best way to do it is to blow it out with forced air.

Simply remove the side panel, carry the PC outdoors and have at it. Some folks use an air compressor to blow out the dust, but I think that is very bad idea for two very important reasons: [Read more…]

Skip those irritating voice mail instructions and go right to the beep!

Posted on April 26, 2017

If you’re like me you probably hate calling someone who doesn’t answer, especially if you need to leave a message.

Before you get to that magic beep, you first have to wait while the voice mail system plays the recipient’s personal greeting, and then you have to listen for another eternity while it tells you how to leave a message.

If you’re wondering why all the major cell carriers require us to listen to the same boring voice mail instructions over and over again before allowing us to leave a simple message, it’s because it makes them a ton of money! [Read more…]