Long gone, but now back… sort of. :)
(Answer requested by Dennis Hayes) I think I can suggest a better approach; but first, to answer your question: You need a hub, not a reader. When you plug in a standard card reader — even one with multiple slots for different types of cards — the reader is assigned one address from the PC;…
In response to “Is there any way to charge a phone faster?,” reader Peter Rothschild sent in the following interesting and very surprising post, based on his real-life measurements of smartphone charging times. Fascinating info about differences in USB charging cables! (Thanks, Peter!): “I have done a bit of experimenting with this on my last…
Not exactly. But if you’re using Windows, you can use a capable flash device to speed your system a different way: It’s called ReadyBoost, and it’s been built into the OS since the days of Vista. ReadyBoost lets your PC use a flash device as a predictive (“prefetch”) cache, preloading the data that the OS…
Sure, turn it off! Seriously, your phone will charge fastest when it’s fully powered off and connected to an active charger. If a full power-off charge isn’t possible, power down as much you can. Some things you can do: Turn the screen brightness down to the lowest level you can use; use Dark Theme/Night Mode…
Good luck. The CBS app is horrible! My wife has an iPhone with the Apple version of the CBS app; I’ve used the Android version of the app on two different, current Samsung phones; and have also used the CBS app built into my smart TV. On all platforms, the app’s native resolution is meh,…
It’s a quandary. Solid-state/hybrid drives (SSHDs) use a modest amount of high-speed memory as a kind of front end to a large, conventional, spinning-platter drive; software makes the two act as one. The idea is to yield a drive that’s faster than a conventional drive, but less expensive than an all-solid-state drive. But, as you…
I’m glad I don’t have to choose! But if I did: I’d choose a high-end, state-of-the-art smartphone. Why? Because you can turn a high-end smartphone into a pretty capable notebook-equivalent by adding a USB- and Bluetooth-connected monitor, keyboard, and mouse. But while a smartphone can serve as a portable PC, the reverse isn’t true: For…
(Answer requested by Diego Gerardo Velasco) If the drive is simply on — fully powered up and spinning, even while it’s not needed — you’re wasting energy, and putting needless wear on the drive bearings. You’re also exposing the drive electronics to extra risk from electrical problems (spikes, surges, sags, etc.). If the drive is…
Not all copiers have hard drives (it’s generally only higher-volume copiers that need to queue, track, and manage numerous large print jobs); and not all copiers with hard drives work the same way. But, in very broad terms, and depending on whether you’re trying to do something above-board or not, here are two approaches: If…
(Answer requested by Mandi Bailey) If it’s a brand-new PC, odds are it’ll have a reasonably current, capable CPU; and an at least acceptable hard drive. But most PC baseline models have only a modest — sometimes minimal — amount of RAM. So, if I’m allowed only one upgrade, I’d go for more RAM —…