Best Practices
Filling Wi-Fi holes in a home network
Why is it that the place you most need a strong, consistent Wi-Fi connection in your home is always at the edge of your router’s range? Here are a few gadgets that might fix your problem. (Spoiler alert: They didn’t entirely fix mine — but they helped!)
Read MoreHow to reduce SkyDrive synching problems
Although SkyDrive is a big part of Windows 8 and Office 2013, Microsoft’s online data-storage service falls somewhat short of its potential. Fortunately, you can work around some of SkyDrive’s shortcomings. Here are some tips for living with SkyDrive.
Read MoreGiving employees a say over business technology
The days of IT admins proclaiming designated platforms and devices for the entire organization are quickly dwindling. Instead, businesses are embracing the BYOD trend — allowing employees to make some of their own decisions about which technologies they use.
Read MoreSetting up a Win7/Win8 dual-boot system
There are two techniques for running Windows 7 and Windows 8 on the same system: dual-boot and virtual machine. We reviewed virtual machines in a previous article; here’s how to set up a dual-boot machine.
Read MoreTwo ways to put Windows 7 and 8 on the same PC
For numerous reasons, you might want to have Windows 8 and Windows 7 on the same PC. There are two common techniques for installing multiple operating systems on one machine. Here’s how to choose between the two.
Read MorePreserving files for the generations
In this digital age, we have photographs, videos, family records — perhaps even a few words of wisdom — stored on relatively fragile hard drives. All digital media eventually either fails or becomes obsolete, so how do you preserve important files for your grandchildren or great-grandchildren?
Read MoreWhen a HomePlug network suddenly stops working
What do you do when your home network suddenly dies? If you’re like me, you waste time and money replacing devices that don’t need to be replaced. But if you’re smart, you’ll read about my misadventures in network troubleshooting — and learn from my mistakes.
Read MoreDevices to give Wi-Fi networks a boost
One of the common challenges of Wi-Fi is getting good coverage throughout your home or small business. There are numerous devices for extending a Wi-Fi network, but picking the best device can be confusing.
Read MoreSome end-of-the-year thoughts on PC maintenance
Free scanning products offer to diagnose and fix PC problems. But are they looking for the right problems? A recent spate of TV ads for a PC scanning and repair suite prompted me to take a look at a couple of free scanners — and consider what’s really important for maintaining and securing PCs.
Read MoreKeeping in touch: Facebook versus LinkedIn
For millions of Internet denizens, Facebook and LinkedIn are crucial for keeping in touch with scattered friends, family, and business contacts. Although the two services have a lot in common, what you use them for will determine which is more worthy of your time.
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