Guides
AI Features on Phones and Laptops: Hype Versus Evidence
Learn how to tell where an AI feature on a phone or laptop actually runs, what its maker promises, and which FTC cases show why accuracy and privacy claims need evidence before you pay.
Contributor
Harper C. Hayes
An option makes sense only in relation to the need it serves. Subject: Consumer Technology Explained: tech, marsh. Harper C. Hayes is the editorial byline assigned to this area. Background, definitions and the interpretation of available information belong to this editorial remit. This is an editorial pen name used by the publication, not a claim of an independently verified personal identity.
Guides
Cloud gaming explained: how game streaming works and what you need to play
How cloud gaming works, which bandwidth, latency, Wi-Fi and device requirements the providers publish, and where streaming falls short of playing on local hardware.
Guides
How Software Updates Work and What to Do When One Fails
What updates change, how automatic and manual updating differ on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows, what to check around an install, and how to find the failing stage.
Guides
Batteries and Charging Explained: Chemistries, Limits and Fixes
Compare alkaline, NiMH, lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries, learn how charging limits and heat age a cell, and troubleshoot slow, failed or swollen batteries.
Rules
How Long Can a Portable Power Station Run a Fridge? Real Runtime Math
Work out real fridge runtime from running watts, startup surge, duty cycle, and usable watt hours, then size a portable power station without guessing.
Reviews
Which assistive technology fits which barrier: screen readers, magnifiers, voice control, switches and captions
Match a barrier to the right type of assistive technology, see what each built-in tool does, and trial it on a real task before you spend money on anything.
Guides
How to Remove a Carrier Lock from Your Phone After Your Contract Ends in Canada
Remove a carrier lock after your contract ends in Canada using the CRTC Wireless Code. Confirm eligibility, request by phone, and test with another SIM.
Guides
USB-C Cable Types and Speeds: How to Read Wattage, Data Rate, and Certification Labels
USB-C cables look identical but differ in charging watts, data speed, video support, and USB-IF certification. Here is how to read the box and pick for your port.
Guides
Assistive technology funding through US vocational rehabilitation agencies
State vocational rehabilitation agencies can pay for assistive technology, training, and repairs, but only when the device serves a documented job goal.
Features
Assistive technology programs in Seattle and Boston: where to borrow, try and finance devices
A checked directory of the public assistive technology programs serving Seattle and Boston: device loans, demonstrations, reuse, low-interest loans and vocational rehabilitation.
Rules
How FCC hearing aid compatibility rules affect your next phone purchase
FCC hearing aid compatibility rules decide which phones work with hearing aids. Here is how M and T ratings work and what to check before you buy.
Guides
How to turn on and tune accessibility features on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac
Exact shortcuts and menu paths from Apple, Google and Microsoft for switching on accessibility features, plus fixes for accidental screen readers and lost captions.
Features
How WEA emergency alerts and accessibility features work on US phones
WEA emergency alerts accessibility explained: how US phones deliver FCC-mandated vibration, text, and audio warnings for deaf and blind users.
Rules
Home network trouble: how to isolate the layer that's actually failing
Home network troubleshooting for no internet, weak Wi-Fi, slow speeds, drops, double NAT, DNS, device failures, and mesh problems using controlled tests.
Guides
How to build a personal backup system and prove that it works
A step-by-step home backup plan using the 3-2-1 rule, Time Machine or File History, a remote copy, protected keys and a restore test, based on CISA, NCSC and vendor documents.
Guides
Cloud storage basics: sync, sharing, deletion and recovery windows
How cloud sync, online-only files and sharing work, how Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud and Dropbox handle deleted files and versions, and how to trace a missing file.
Guides
Consumer device security: protect accounts, devices, data and network
A practical security plan built on four assets (accounts, devices, data, network), with a hardening order and a first-hour response to account takeover, SIM loss or fraud.
Reviews
Sync, backup, archive, or sharing: which one actually protects your files?
File sync, backup, archive, and sharing compared by purpose, change behavior, retention, access, recovery, ownership, and the failures each method handles.
Guides
How to choose a laptop and set it up on day one
What decides laptop performance and value, using real maker specifications, plus a first-day routine: inspect, update, encrypt, recover, migrate, back up and test.
Reviews
Laptop types compared: ultraportable, mainstream, gaming, and workstation
Laptop types compared by portability, cooling, graphics, repair, battery, input, price, and workload, from ultraportables to mobile workstations.
Reviews
Passwords, passkeys and MFA: which sign-in method fits which account
How passwords, text and app codes, push approvals, security keys and passkeys hold up against phishing, SIM swaps and breaches, plus a decision rule by account importance.
Guides
How a Home Network Works and How to Secure Your Router
How modems, routers, Wi-Fi and Ethernet fit together at home, plus a step-by-step router security routine and a plain answer on whether a home VPN is worth it.
Guides
Smartphone Basics: How a Phone Works, What to Compare and How to Set One Up Safely
Learn what the chip, RAM, storage, display and battery numbers on a spec sheet mean, what to compare before buying, and how to set up a new phone safely.
Reviews
Wi-Fi Ethernet mesh compared: extenders and powerline
Wi-Fi Ethernet mesh compared: how Ethernet, access points, mesh systems, range extenders, and powerline work, what they cost, and where each fits at home.