Guides

Every one sourced, dated and kept current.

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Aug 31, 2026
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August 202610 articles

A USB-C hub showing HDMI, USB and Ethernet ports.
Gaming · Guide

Do You Need a Dock for Your Steam Deck?

A hub, not a video upgrade. Valve's own specs put the official dock's display ceiling below what the Deck does over plain USB-C.

Someone wearing headphones beside a railway platform.
Audio & Home · Guide

How Loud Is Too Loud? Your Phone Already Knows

The WHO limit is 80dB for 40 hours a week. Apple built that exact number into iOS, and almost nobody has opened the screen that reports it.

Macro photograph of a single wireless earbud.
Audio & Home · Guide

One Earbud Quieter Than the Other? Check the Slider

Before cleaning anything or claiming a warranty, check one accessibility setting. Five seconds, and it beats hardware as the cause.

Two smartphones side by side on a wooden table.
Mobile · Guide

Backing Up an iPhone? Tick the Encrypt Box

Apple turns encryption off by default on computer backups, and an unencrypted one leaves your Health history and saved passwords behind.

A smart lock fitted to a wooden front door.
Smart Home · Guide

What Happens When a Smart Lock's Battery Dies

The bolt stays exactly where it is. Whether you get back in depends on which of three failsafes your model has, and where you keep it.

Two white rocker light switch plates on a grey wall.
Smart Home · Guide

Smart Bulbs or Smart Switches? Usually the Switch

A smart bulb needs permanent power, which makes your wall switch the thing most likely to break it. Two good reasons to accept that.

Close-up of hands typing on a laptop keyboard.
AI · Guide

Does ChatGPT Train on Your Chats? Yes, Until You Say No

The consumer app and the developer API ship opposite defaults. One setting changes it, and it is not the one most people reach for.

Two smartphones charging side by side on a desk.
Mobile · Guide

How to Check Your Phone's Battery Health, and What It Means

Where iPhone, Pixel and Samsung Galaxy show it, and what each maker says a reading means. Only Apple and Google give you a percentage.

The inside of a laptop's cooling assembly: flattened copper heat pipes running from the chip to a small radiator beside the fan.
Computing · Guide

Why Your Laptop Fan Is Loud, and What the Makers Say to Do

Apple, Microsoft, Dell, HP and Lenovo name the same few causes. Most need no screwdriver, and a grinding sound is a different problem.