Your daily dose of practical, easy to follow tech tips!
Question from Dale: I just bought my son a new laptop at Walmart.
As we were walking up to the register to pay, I asked the salesman if he could recommend a good surge protector for it.
He said laptops don’t need surge protectors because their power bricks protect the machine from power surges.
That just didn’t sound right to me, but I’m not one to argue.
Was he right or do I need to go ahead and buy a surge protector for my son’s new laptop? [Read more…]
Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.
If you’re a frequent traveler you’re probably well aware of just how scarce electrical outlets can be at airports and hotel rooms.
With all the gadgets we need to power and keep charged up these days, available outlets tend to get snapped up pretty quickly.
And of course there’s also the danger of using public USB charging stations.
Luckily, there’s on very simple and very effective way to avoid both of these problems at the same time… [Read more…]
Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.
Question from Shelby: I bought a new computer the other day.
The salesman told me I won’t need to plug it into a surge protector because the power supply automatically protects it from over-voltage.
Is he right? [Read more…]
Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.
You’re probably aware that lightning and power surges can damage electronic devices such as computers and TV sets.
I’m also guessing that you have your expensive tech gear plugged into surge protectors.
But did you know that surge protectors don’t last forever?
Question from Mickie: My husband built me a small office in the corner of our basement so I can work down there away from the noise and commotion from the kids and the TV.
The problem is he didn’t install any electrical outlets in the new office and the closest existing outlet is about 70 feet away from it (there are only two outlets in the entire basement).
My question is would it be safe to run a 75 foot extension cord from that outlet into the new office? [Read more…]