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Quick Links Summary An Ethernet crossover cable swaps the transmit and receive pins between its plugs to allow for direct connections between host devices. Modern devices don’t need this anymore, but older network devices might. You probably don’t think much about compatibility when you plug in yourEthernet cables, but sometimes when you directly connect two devices with an Ethernet cable, they won’t talk to each other! This is where you need a “crossover” cable....

Summary Linux is at the peak of its popularity, but it’s still an extremely niche desktop operating system. Say what you want about Windows, but its popularity means it has most of the software, but thanks to WINE Linux users have been partaking of Windows apps for over three decades. What Is WINE? WINEis one of those uniquerecursive acronymsthat are popular in Open Source Software. It’s short for “WINE Is Not an Emulator,” which will make sense when I tell you that WINE is a program that lets Windows software run on Linux or macOS....

Summary If an app icon appears on my desktop—ZAP! Gone. I now even hide my taskbar so that nothing greets me but a pristine wallpaper and my open apps. I don’t plan to be less vigilant any time soon. I’m Easily Distracted There is something I’ve come to accept about myself: I get distracted easily. I don’t just mean that I am derailed when someone comes by to ask me a question, nor do I mean that I need to enable Do Not Disturb mode to silence all notifications....

Instead of upgrading your entire media system, get an add-on network player. The new WiiM Ultra boasts high-end audio decoding and adds multi-room audio, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and other wireless media capabilities to any old amplifier. TheWiiM Ultrauses an excellent 32-bit / 384kHz ES9038 Q2M Sabre DAC and provides hi-res music playback at 24-bit/192kHz quality. It features modern Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity and can connect to other WiiM players (or other DLNA devices) for multi-room audio streaming....

A fast USB car charger can be a great backup power source for laptops, battery banks, and other devices during emergencies or unexpected trips. If you don’t have one already, you should get one. I recently bought a130W UGREEN car charger(pictured above) for the grand total of $27, which has two USB Type-C ports and one USB Type-A. It can output 100W of power through one USB-C port, 22.5W on the USB Type-A connector, and 30W on the other USB-C port....

Summary Paid apps with subscriptions have become incredibly common in the Google Play Store. While it may be the fairest way to compensate developers, subscriptions add up. We’ll share some great paid Android apps you only have to pay for once. 1Buzzkill Buzzkill is a powerful app that lets you customize notifications. You can set up rules to filter out unwanted notifications, change the sound or vibration pattern, automatically reply or dismiss messages, snooze or remind notifications, and much more....

Quick Links Apple’smacOS 13 Venturais finally available to download if you own acompatible Mac. While it’s not the most revolutionary update we’ve seen, there are plenty of useful features worth checking out. Stage Manager Stage Manager is a new way of managing windows and applications on macOS. It’s probably the most significant change to the operating system, though it remains an optional feature. You can turn it on under Control Center by clicking on the “Stage Manager” button....

I’ve watched a lot onNetflixand have sat through my fair share of duds, so I feel well qualified to give you some quality TV show recommendations that will keep you entertained this weekend. Need a laugh? Some thrilling post-apocalyptic action? Or an insight into our breathtaking planet? Whatever your mood, you can reasonably watch every episode of these shows over a few days. 2022 1 9 1 hour 48 minutes...

The default Windows File Explorer is a perfectly acceptable tool that does its job well enough. But if you’ve ever felt like it was lacking in features or versatility, you might want to take a look at some alternative file management apps. Why Replace Windows File Explorer? File Explorer is more than enough for most users. Unless you’re a power user who’s trying to maximize efficiency, there’s no reason to replace the default explorer....

Quick Links Virtual reality is a great form of entertainment, and it’s certainly healthier than being a couch potato with controller in hand, but have you considered that some of the stuff you do in VR can actually turn into real-life skills? Either on purpose, or as a happy accident, there are quite a few ways you can upskill yourself in VR. 1Flying If you’ve ever fantasized about being the person who saves the day when somehow both pilots on your flight pass out, then a computer flight simulator is certainly the next best thing to getting an actual pilot’s license....

Do you want to use Linux but feel worried that your favorite apps won’t work? Well, you’re not alone, as Linux’s app gap is one of the biggest concerns for new users. Thankfully, it’s a solvable problem. Here’s how I get all the software I need on Linux. I started out as a Windows user with my first PC running Windows XP. When I started makingmy transition to Linux, the biggest hurdle I faced was not being able to run the same apps and tools I ran on my Windows system....

Quick Links The iPhone has always been clean and stylish, but Android phones have gone in a million different directions. Some of the designs over the years have been downright strange, and yet I find myself missing the days when phone makers weren’t afraid to get weird. My history with Androidgoes all the way back to 2010, and I’ve been reviewing phones since 2012. Needless to say, I’ve been around to see the vast majority of Android phones....

Cybersecurity can be confusing. Here are six easy things you can do, and habits you can adopt, to improve your Linux security. They work equally well on fresh installs and long-running computers. Computers have transformed our lives. They allow us to do things we couldn’t possibly do otherwise. Because they’re indispensable, and the data they hold is precious to us, they are an obvious target for criminals. Linux is considered to be (relatively) secure right out of the box, but there are simple actions you can take to improve your defenses, and “harden” your computer....