I’ve built PCs for years. These 5 cheap tools make every build suck less
I’ve built a PC with just a single Craftsman screwdriver. I didn’t like doing it. If I could go back in time to that first build, I’d invest $30 to $50 in useful tools. The…
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Windows 11’s taskbar audio settings suck. Here’s how to fix it
I’ve used Windows 11 regularly for a couple of years now. I still dislike it. But now we’re all stuck with it, given Windows 10’s “death” earlier this month. What I hate in particular: The…
Discord’s new Halloween notifications suck. Here’s how to turn them off
I’m going to get right to the point. Discord likes Halloween enough to switch everyone to a spooky set of notification sounds. I dislike my primary PC unexpectedly starting up a howling ruckus as I’m…
Need a cheap laptop that doesn’t suck? This Dell is $400 for Prime Day
Need a laptop that’s cheap and doesn’t totally suck? The Dell Inspiron 15 3535 should definitely be on your shortlist then. This budget design has a 15.6-inch 1080p screen that’s both roomy and crisp, making…
I got this crazy cyborg keypad to improve at PC games. I still suck
I’m not great at games. At least, not on PC. I have no aptitude for using a mouse and keyboard. That’s right—I play everything with a controller. At least, I play all of my usual…
Everyone should know which passwords suck. Do you?
You probably already know that a password like 123456 is bad. It’s so simple and predictable that even other humans can easily guess it. But do you know all the other passwords that are just…
Apple is right: Touchscreen laptops suck
Apple gets a lot of flak for not adding touchscreens to their MacBook laptops, but the reason for this decision is pretty darn sound even if it annoys some people. Windows laptops with touchscreens get…
I tried running AI chatbots locally on my laptop — and they kinda suck
Problem #1: Small LLMs are stupid Newer open LLMs often brag about big benchmark improvements, and that was certainly the case with DeepSeek-R1, which came close to OpenAI’s o1 in some benchmarks. But the model…
Your password sucks. But does your PIN code suck too?
Password health is important, but don’t overlook the humble PIN, too. Often just four digits, it stands between bad actors and major parts of your life: your bank account, your smartphone, your home security system.…
Battery life on gaming laptops doesn’t have to suck anymore
In the past, gaming laptops would last anywhere from two to four hours on a single charge — a woefully short duration compared to their non-gaming counterparts. Powerful hardware like heavy-duty graphics cards requires a…