If you want a good TV, or any TV these days, you're inevitably going to buy a "smart" TV. On paper, a smart TV sounds like an upgrade over a "dumb" model, but in practice, smart TVs have turned out to be of limited value. The list of cons is indeed long, and it's why I disable the smart functions on my own TVs completely.

Netflix pioneered the idea of streaming services making their own original content, exclusive to each platform. In general, this has worked well, and shows like Stranger Things have become major tentpole hits.

That (probably) familiar connector you see up there is known as a "Molex" connector, and modern power supplies and computer peripherals rarely of ever still have this type of power connector—and for good reason.

I've been using computers since before they had hard drives, and over the last thirty-odd years things have advanced at a breakneck speed. These days almost everything works as intended, but that has been very far from the reality for most of my personal computing history. Here's some of the weird stuff I used to do with my computers.

Good ideas can come from anywhere, so why not take UX inspiration from a video game? Well, if you're going to do it, it better be one of the best games created by certified geniuses, so what better choice than the still-legendary Quake?

It seems like forever ago that we first read about melting GPU power connectors and small fires starting inside PCs as the wattage was cranked up to unbelievable levels. You'd think that, by now, this issue would be definitively solved, but it's still happening, and the "fixes" all seem like stopgaps. So what's happening?

Yes, it's a USB port. Let's get that out of the way right off the bat, as if the big picture of a USB port on a router above wasn't enough to tip you off. In case you've never noticed, or thought to use it, if your router has a USB port on it there's a good chance you can actually use that router as a basic NAS.

If you ever take a look at the back of your smart TV, you'll notice one or more USB ports. These aren't just for show! There are several neat features that these unassuming USB connections unlock.

Recently, some in the computer geek community have started referring to Microsoft and its products as "Microslop". Partly alluding to the company pushing its AI technology everywhere (i.e. AI "slop") and partly because of the perceived degradation of Windows and all other products from the formerly glorious software company in Redmond.

I've been an avid aquarist for more than a decade, but after my last cross-country move I haven't gotten around to establishing a new tank for a few years. Looking at what's going on in the aquarium hobby these days, I've been blown away by the tech on offer. When I'm ready to install my next tank, these gadgets might very well be on my wish list.

Some time ago, I wrote about how my Windows computer doesn't really feel like mine anymore, and that all the changes in modern Windows seem to work against my best interests as a paying customer, compared to macOS and Linux.

Solid State Drives (SSDs) seem to come with so many rules and caveats. Don't make them too hot, don't write too much to them, and don't fill them up all the way,

For many people, a desktop PC is more than just a functional device. PC building has become a fine art in some circles, and in the pursuit of the perfect PC build, some enthusiasts have resorted to a mild kind of fakery, in the form of "dummy" RAM.

The HTPC or Home Theater Personal Computer was an idea before its time. Something only well-heeled and tech-savvy tinkering media geeks could even achieve, and then, more often than not, the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. Yet, we have the HTPC to thank for our myriad modern media options. So let's look back at the HTPC and give it the respect it deserves.