c/everyday-tech-fixes

Was skeptical about using a password manager for years, finally gave in after losing 4 accounts

I fought against password managers for a long time. Thought keeping everything in my head was the safe way to do things. Then last summer I had three email accounts and one social media account get hacked because I reused the same password on different sites. My brother recommended Bitwarden and I finally tried it about 6 months ago. Took me maybe 20 minutes to set up and now I have unique passwords for every single login. The two-factor authentication part made me nervous but it's actually pretty easy. Has anyone else had trouble convincing family members to make the switch?

2 comments

nathan289•1mo ago

That one time I had 8 browser tabs open looking for the same info I had already saved

Last Tuesday I spent 15 minutes jumping between tabs trying to remember a recipe I had bookmarked, only to realize my browser history was a mess of 40 open pages. I finally started using a simple folder system on my bookmarks bar, one for recipes one for work one for hobbies, and now I can find anything in under 5 seconds. Has anyone else found a better way to organize their bookmarks?

3 comments

campbell.robin•1mo ago

Hot take: Is it better to restart your router every night or just leave it on?

My internet dropped during a Zoom meeting in my home office last Tuesday, and I had to cold restart everything. Now I'm wondering if I should schedule nightly reboots or just let the router run until it crashes again. My TP-Link router has been stable for about 10 days now, but I'm paranoid about another disconnect. What do you guys do for regular maintenance on your home network?

2 comments

troy_ross•1mo ago

Rant: Waited 3 years to replace a dying power strip and almost lost my PC

Honestly, I had this old power strip from like 2019 that kept buzzing whenever the AC kicked on. I just figured it was normal and ignored it for 3 years. Then last Tuesday at my buddy Dave's apartment, his whole surge protector caught fire mid gaming session. We had to yank the plug out of the wall while smoke was pouring out. That scared me straight. I went home and swapped mine for a $25 Belkin with surge protection the same night. Turns out the buzzing was a sign the capacitors were failing. Has anyone else put off swapping out old power strips and regretted it?

2 comments

davis.casey•1mo ago

My router was dying for months and I just blamed the internet

Kept losing signal in the back bedroom around 9 PM every night for 8 weeks. Finally borrowed a thermal camera from a friend and saw my router was running at 150 degrees because the vents were blocked by a stack of old magazines. Moved it to a shelf with air flow and the problem vanished.

2 comments

lane.drew•1mo ago

Serious question, why does every "smart" gadget need its own app now?

I picked up a $40 smart plug last week to turn off my living room lamp on a timer. Simple enough right? Nope. Had to download their app, make an account, connect to my wifi, then sit through a firmware update. For a light switch. My old mechanical timer cost $8 and I set it with a dial in 10 seconds. I don't want 14 apps on my phone just to run my house. Has anyone else just ditched the smart stuff and gone back to basic?

2 comments

the_robert•1mo ago

Snagged a $30 USB microphone on clearance and it randomly clicks during recordings

Picked up a clearance USB mic at the electronics shop downtown for cheap, but after three voice recordings for my podcast, there's a random clicking noise every 30 seconds or so. I tried swapping USB ports and turning off other devices running, but no luck. Anyone know if this is a driver issue or just the mic being a lemon?

2 comments

faithg26•1mo ago

My $80 printer cartridge saga and a hard lesson learned

I spent about $80 on an off brand ink cartridge for my HP printer last month, thinking I was saving money over the name brand ones. It worked for maybe two weeks before it started giving me error messages and the printer refused to print at all. I called tech support and they told me third party cartridges can actually mess up the printer's software, which I hadn't realized. So I ended up buying the official HP cartridge for $45 anyway, plus I wasted the original $80. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of issue where saving a few bucks cost you more in the long run?

2 comments

seth_carr•1mo ago

Can we talk about phone batteries dying in the cold? I had a weird debate about this.

I was out walking my dog last December around 8pm when my phone dropped from 40% to zero in like 5 minutes. It was maybe 15 degrees out. My buddy says that's normal for lithium batteries in cold weather, but my sister claims I just need to close background apps. I tried keeping my phone in my inner coat pocket for a 10 minute walk and it held at 30% the whole time. So which is it? Is it the cold draining the battery or is it poor app management? Has anyone else tested this themselves in freezing temps?

2 comments

the_gavin•1mo ago

Just got back from the library and noticed something about the public computers

I was at the downtown library in Portland yesterday printing some shipping labels for work (my home printer is on the fritz again) and I saw about 4 people just walk away from the public computers without logging off. One lady had her email up with her inbox wide open, another guy left his Facebook logged in. I actually stood there for a second thinking about saying something but he was already gone. The weird part is the library has a big sign right above the monitors saying to log out, but people just ignore it. I know it's not my business but if someone sat down at that computer right after they could see all kinds of personal stuff or even mess with their accounts. Has anyone else noticed this happening more at libraries or coffee shops lately, or am I just being paranoid?

2 comments

campbell.robin•1mo ago

Found out my router's firmware was 4 years out of date

Went into the admin panel yesterday to change my wifi password. Noticed a firmware update section I never look at. Last update was from 2020. Been running this thing since 2021 without ever checking. Anybody else forget about firmware until something breaks?

2 comments

the_jana•1mo ago

PSA: Lost all my photos from last weekend after a coffee spill at the Denny's on Route 9

I was at the Denny's on Route 9 last Saturday morning, catching up with an old friend. Had my phone sitting on the table, and a waitress bumped our table. My iced coffee tipped right over and soaked my phone before I could grab it. Phone still worked, but the SD card got fried somehow. I had 150+ photos from my niece's birthday party and a hike at Bear Mountain that morning. All gone. I didn't have cloud backup turned on because I thought it was a waste of $3 a month. Now I'm paying $80 to a data recovery place and they might not even get them back. Anyone else learn this the hard way?

2 comments

dylan413•1mo ago

My big printer meltdown over a paper jam last tuesday

I used to just yank the paper out when my home printer got jammed, like really pull hard on it. Then last week, I had this epic jam that shredded a whole sheet into like 15 tiny pieces inside the rollers. I spent 40 minutes with tweezers and a flashlight pulling out little wet shreds of paper, making it way worse. My neighbor saw me through the window and came over to ask if I was okay, I was that frustrated. Now I actually look at the diagram on the printer screen and follow the release levers slowly, piece by piece. Feels dumb that it took a full meltdown to change one easy habit, but here we are. Has anyone else fought a printer jam that turned into a two hour project?

2 comments

sage286•1mo ago

Debate: Should you turn off your router every night or just leave it on 24/7, I tested both for a month

Turning it off at midnight and back on at 6 AM cut my power bill by $4 but my smart bulbs kept losing sync, so which side is actually better for reliability?

3 comments

mila_craig4•1mo ago

PSA: I was cleaning my phone screen with rubbing alcohol for 2 years

Turns out the alcohol strips the oleophobic coating off your screen! I only figured it out when my friend who repairs phones noticed how patchy my screen looked. He was like 'dude, what are you using on that?' Has anyone else wrecked their screen coating without knowing?

2 comments

casey_barnes•1mo ago

Told myself smart plugs were just a gimmick for months...

Finally gave in and bought a two-pack of Kasa ones at Best Buy for $25 last month. I was dead wrong. Now my porch lights are on a timer set to sunset and my coffee maker turns on at 7am exactly. Has anyone else had that moment where a simple gadget actually made your routine way easier?

2 comments

roseb62•1mo ago

I think smart fridges are garbage after my ice maker died twice in 3 months.

It cost me $150 for the first repair and then the compressor went out a month later, so I unplugged the whole thing and went back to a $20 cooler for drinks - has anyone else just given up on these expensive appliances?

2 comments

finley777•1mo ago

Tried using a mesh laundry bag for my phone cords and it actually worked

I got tired of untangling charging cables every morning so I threw them in a mesh laundry bag about 2 weeks ago. Figured they'd just twist up inside there but nope, they came out straight every time. I keep the bag hanging on a hook near my nightstand now. It cost me like $3 at the dollar store and took maybe 30 seconds to set up. The only catch is you gotta zip it shut or they spill out when you grab it. Has anyone else found a random household item that helped their cable mess?

3 comments

paul_morgan•1mo ago

Serious question, my neighbor said he puts his router in a metal bowl to boost the signal

I was helping him move a couch in Denver last weekend and he pointed to his kitchen counter setup. He claims the bowl reflects the Wi-Fi and gives him full bars in his backyard. I tried it with a mixing bowl at home for two days and my phone kept dropping the connection. Has anyone actually tested this and gotten it to work, or is it just a weird myth?

3 comments

spencer_sanchez67•1mo ago

Vent: I always thought wired headphones were a hassle until my AirPods died during a flight

I switched back to a cheap pair of wired earbuds for a week and the battery life is just better. Anyone else find themselves going back to old tech that just works?

2 comments

paul233•2mo ago

PSA: I picked a wired mouse over a wireless one for my home office and it's been great

Everyone told me to go wireless for a clean desk, but I got tired of my old one needing a new battery every 2 weeks. I bought a basic Logitech wired mouse for $15 last month and haven't had a single drop or lag during video calls. It feels more solid and I never have to think about charging it. Has anyone else stuck with wired stuff and been happy about it?

2 comments

paige_martin•2mo ago

I thought the 'turn it off and on again' advice for a flickering smart bulb was a joke, but after it worked on my Philips Hue in the kitchen, I'm a believer.

I was convinced my $50 bulb was dying until a friend insisted I power cycle the bridge, which fixed the random disconnects I'd dealt with for a month.

2 comments

rileyjones•2mo ago

Spent $40 on a smart plug for my old coffee maker and it's a game changer

I got a Kasa smart plug on sale and set it up to turn on 10 minutes before my alarm. Waking up to a hot pot ready to go is amazing. Anyone else use smart plugs for dumb appliances?

3 comments

reese_singh87•2mo ago

My phone died right before a job interview in a coffee shop

I was at a Starbucks downtown and my phone battery went from 20% to zero in a minute. I panicked, but the barista let me use their charger behind the counter for 10 minutes. Anyone know a good portable battery pack that's actually reliable?

3 comments

xena_miller31•2mo ago

My smart lock decided to be not so smart during a rainstorm

I was coming home from a job in Tacoma yesterday, hands full of tools, and it's pouring. I tap my phone on the lock like usual, and nothing. The little light just blinks red. I'm standing there getting soaked, trying to remember the backup code while my phone is getting wet. I finally had to dig the old metal key out of my bag, which I hadn't used in like a year. Has anyone else had their smart lock just give up when the weather gets bad?

3 comments