Long gone, but now back… sort of. :)
Q: Can I use an HDMI splitter to extend, not duplicate, my laptop screen across two monitors? (via Quora) A: Nope. An electronics splitter (audio or video) takes a single signal and splits it into two identical signals. If you connect a signal splitter to any of your laptop’s AV outputs, you’ll get two identical…
Why on earth would Microsoft give two entirely different functions the same name? It’s a baffling user-interface mistake: When Microsoft spliced some functions from the classic Disk Cleanup app into Win10’s “Storage sense,” they created silliness like this: There are now two separate on-demand disk-cleanup functions, both called Free up space now, both just one…
Q: How did Massachusetts get its name? (via Quora) A: The name is an Algonquin Indian place name, variously mangled and interpreted by European explorers and settlers. The History of Massachusetts web site offers several interpretations: ● From the Algonquin “massa” meaning “great” and “wachusett” meaning “mountain place” or “large hill place;” probably referencing the…
Q: What are some tips and tricks for getting the most out of using the Boston T? (via Quora) A: Here are three things I’ve learned. Manage The Costs: Use a CharlieCard instead of paper tickets. The NFC-based CharlieCards are free (ask at any Info kiosk), speed your entry to the T (just wave your…
Reader Liz G asks (via the CONTACT link) how much open space a drive really needs: I know installed hard drives need 15% breathing room. How about portable external hard drives? I have 7 Western Digital drives ranging in size from 500GB to 2TB and the only thing on them are images of the seven…
Q. Can I install x86-based Microsoft Office Pro Plus in a 32-bit OS, x64-based processor? (via Quora) A: Almost surely, yes. You usually can run 32-bit software on 64-bit hardware. In your case, you want to run a 32-bit (“x86”) version of Office on 32-bit Windows, itself installed on a 64-bit system. That’s all legit…
Q: Should I factory reset a phone that previously belonged to someone else? (via Quora) A: Yes, absolutely! You have no way of knowing what might still be on the phone… spyware, malware, traces of illicit images or activity, whatever. I suggest you reset the phone before you plug in your SIM, and before you…
Q: How do I prevent auto connection to unknown Wi-Fi networks on Windows 10 Pro? I already tried everything, what do I do? (via Quora) A: There’s a very easy fix! But the thing here is that it’s an unknown network. Windows shouldn’t be auto-connecting to truly unknown networks that you’ve never connected to before;…
Q: A reader asks: ‘Is Boston, MA a terrible place to live?’ (via Quora) A: Questions like this, with a built-in bias, presuppose the answer, sort of like “Have you stopped beating your wife?” But the answer is clearly no. Here’s proof: People don’t choose to move to a place that’s terrible, and Boston hasn’t had…
Q. Is it legal to activate Windows 10 with a key found for free on the internet? A: No, of course not — you didn’t “find” the key, as if it were dropped on a sidewalk or thrown in a trash bin. Someone posted a Win10 product key online, and you (and who knows how…