Maintenance
Cleaning, batteries, backups and keeping things working.
1,200 pages
LG UltraFine 32UN880: How to Reduce Its Power Consumption
Most of the power a device uses is accounted for by three things: the display, the radios, and whatever is allowed to wake it.
LG UltraFine 32UN880: How to Set Up a Second Device Without Duplicating Everything
Running two devices well is a matter of deciding what syncs and what deliberately does not.
LG UltraFine 32UN880: How to Test It Properly Before the Return Window Closes
Most faults that matter show up in the first fortnight, but only if you deliberately look for them.
LG UltraFine 32UN880: How to Transfer Everything to a New Device
Direct transfer beats restoring from a backup almost every time, provided you plan an hour for it.
LG UltraFine 32UN880: How to Update Firmware Without Breaking Things
Updates are the single most effective security measure available, and the least popular. Both facts are worth taking seriously.
MacBook Air M4: How to Back It Up Properly
A backup you have never restored from is a hypothesis, not a backup.
MacBook Air M4: How to Check Whether It Is Still Getting Security Updates
A device that has stopped receiving patches is a liability regardless of how well it still works.
MacBook Air M4: How to Choose the Right Case or Cover
A case is the cheapest insurance available, and the wrong one causes overheating and blocked charging.
MacBook Air M4: How to Clean It Safely
Cleaning consumer electronics is mostly a matter of knowing what not to use. The wrong solvent removes an oleophobic coating permanently.
MacBook Air M4: How to Diagnose a Problem Methodically
Changing several things at once is why most troubleshooting takes longer than it should.
MacBook Air M4: How to Free Up Storage
Most reclaimed storage comes from caches and offline downloads rather than from the files you can see.
MacBook Air M4: How to Improve Everyday Performance
Most perceived slowdown is storage pressure, background activity or thermal limiting rather than the hardware ageing.
MacBook Air M4: How to Look After the Battery
Battery longevity is driven by heat and time spent at extremes of charge, not by how often you plug in.
MacBook Air M4: How to Prepare It for Sale or Handover
Wiping a device properly is more than deleting your files, and skipping a step can leave it locked to your account and worthless to the buyer.
MacBook Air M4: How to Protect Your Data on It
The default settings on a new device are tuned for convenience. A few deliberate changes close most of the practical risk.
MacBook Air M4: How to Reduce Its Power Consumption
Most of the power a device uses is accounted for by three things: the display, the radios, and whatever is allowed to wake it.
MacBook Air M4: How to Set Up a Second Device Without Duplicating Everything
Running two devices well is a matter of deciding what syncs and what deliberately does not.
MacBook Air M4: How to Test It Properly Before the Return Window Closes
Most faults that matter show up in the first fortnight, but only if you deliberately look for them.
MacBook Air M4: How to Transfer Everything to a New Device
Direct transfer beats restoring from a backup almost every time, provided you plan an hour for it.
MacBook Air M4: How to Update Firmware Without Breaking Things
Updates are the single most effective security measure available, and the least popular. Both facts are worth taking seriously.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Back It Up Properly
A backup you have never restored from is a hypothesis, not a backup.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Check Whether It Is Still Getting Security Updates
A device that has stopped receiving patches is a liability regardless of how well it still works.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Choose the Right Case or Cover
A case is the cheapest insurance available, and the wrong one causes overheating and blocked charging.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Clean It Safely
Cleaning consumer electronics is mostly a matter of knowing what not to use. The wrong solvent removes an oleophobic coating permanently.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Diagnose a Problem Methodically
Changing several things at once is why most troubleshooting takes longer than it should.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Free Up Storage
Most reclaimed storage comes from caches and offline downloads rather than from the files you can see.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Improve Everyday Performance
Most perceived slowdown is storage pressure, background activity or thermal limiting rather than the hardware ageing.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Look After the Battery
Battery longevity is driven by heat and time spent at extremes of charge, not by how often you plug in.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Prepare It for Sale or Handover
Wiping a device properly is more than deleting your files, and skipping a step can leave it locked to your account and worthless to the buyer.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Protect Your Data on It
The default settings on a new device are tuned for convenience. A few deliberate changes close most of the practical risk.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Reduce Its Power Consumption
Most of the power a device uses is accounted for by three things: the display, the radios, and whatever is allowed to wake it.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Set Up a Second Device Without Duplicating Everything
Running two devices well is a matter of deciding what syncs and what deliberately does not.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Test It Properly Before the Return Window Closes
Most faults that matter show up in the first fortnight, but only if you deliberately look for them.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Transfer Everything to a New Device
Direct transfer beats restoring from a backup almost every time, provided you plan an hour for it.
Meross Smart Plug Mini: How to Update Firmware Without Breaking Things
Updates are the single most effective security measure available, and the least popular. Both facts are worth taking seriously.
Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): How to Back It Up Properly
A backup you have never restored from is a hypothesis, not a backup.
Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): How to Check Whether It Is Still Getting Security Updates
A device that has stopped receiving patches is a liability regardless of how well it still works.
Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): How to Choose the Right Case or Cover
A case is the cheapest insurance available, and the wrong one causes overheating and blocked charging.
Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): How to Clean It Safely
Cleaning consumer electronics is mostly a matter of knowing what not to use. The wrong solvent removes an oleophobic coating permanently.
Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): How to Diagnose a Problem Methodically
Changing several things at once is why most troubleshooting takes longer than it should.