By Steve Bass
Commercials are loud now, louder than I can ever remember…what can you do about it?
Worried your toddler (or for many of you, your great-grandchild) may reach up, grab your large-screen TV, and get bonked on the head? Or maybe you live in California or Nebraska (Nebraska?) and you’re frazzled thinking about earthquakes…what can you do about it?
TechBite: 2 Useful Gadgets & a Bass Rant Read More »
By Steve Bass
Okay, yes, you already have a security tool. But I have three smart, free, no-fuss browser tools that’ll give you an extra edge against cyber criminals.
TechBite: Extra Online Protection: Free, Easy, Effective Read More »
By Steve Bass
On March 21, 1991, I stopped using Norton’s security programs.
But I like to see what the dark side is up to, so I recently switched back to Norton. And I’m really happy I did.
Of course, knowing how you always like to hear the dirt, I’ll tell you the back story.
TechBite: Oh, Bass, What Did You Do? Read More »
By Steve Bass
Listen to this concession: “Okay, yes, once you’ve used a two-monitor setup, going back to a single monitor sucks.”
That from my wife who last year resisted using a second monitor. It’s so darn quaint when she admits she’s wrong.
Judy found that out when I brought home a friend’s PC for repair, needed a monitor, and borrowed hers. (First rule of computing: Use someone else’s equipment whenever possible.)
The repair was taking longer than I expected — funny how computers do that to you — and, my pobrecita was feeling deprived.
TechBite: Two Monitors? Heck, Make it Three! Read More »
By Steve Bass
Sure, there are God-only-knows how many Registry fixer-uppers that purport to get your computer back on track. And every few months, a slick magazine will promise that its 20 Secret Insider Troubleshooting Tricks article will restore your PC to pristine condition. The nerve of those annoying insiders keeping secrets! (Here’s a revelation: I used to be one of those insiders)
TechBite: Great Troubleshooting Tips and Tools Read More »
By Steve Bass
For the last year or so, Google Voice (formerly called Grand Central, a name I loved) was available only if someone invited you. Yeah, I know; I never did. It’s now open to everyone in the United States (stop whining) and I suggest you look at it.
TechBite: Google Voice is Cool & Free Read More »
By Steve Bass
No doubt, watching a TV show or mobile in high definition is miraculous. The picture is sharper than sharp (so much so that like it or not, you can see the pores on an actor’s face).
I’m a DirecTV subscriber, but I’m too cheap to pay their extra fee for high definition service, so I decided to try an HDTV indoor antenna.
TechBite: Why I Said No to Free Off-The-Air Reception Read More »
By Steve Bass
A while back I gave you some advice for calibrating your PC monitor or high-definition TV. I thought it was pretty good stuff, but the very foundations of the Internet began to rumble and experts started writing. (I never know who’s reading my newsletter.) Here’s what I learned.
TechBite: The Straight Skinny on HDTV Calibration Read More »
By Steve Bass
It’s not like I have anywhere important to go to, but I still hate to wait. That’s why I’m enjoying USB 3.0.
Let’s get the numbers out of the way; then I’ll talk practicalities.
USB specs are inflated… they always are. USB 2.0 is rated at 480 Mbit/s (about 57MB/s) while USB 3.0 is 4.8 Gbit/s (572 MB/s). In the real world, the only users getting these speeds are the marketing people who dreamed up the specs. On my PC, USB 2.0 moved files at 25MB/s and USB 3.0 can get up to 55MB/s.
TechBite: Adios USB 2.0–Hello USB 3.0 Read More »
By Steve Bass
I think we’ve got the razor-blade method of marketing printers figured out: Sell the printer for a couple of bucks, then gouge and exploit us on cartridges. I hate it.
Lexmark makes its money the old-fashioned way. It sells printers at higher-than-competitor’s printers, but then sells the ink cartridges at reasonable prices.
TechBite: A Smart Printer with $4.99 Cartridges Read More »