Do you know what's going on inside your PC? Most people don’t, and most of the time they don’t need to know. But there are occasions when a detailed inventory of a computer’s components comes in handy. Read on to learn some surprising reasons why you SHOULD know what's under the hood of your computer, even if you're NOT a techie. And also, some software tools that will let you “x-ray” your PC, so you can see what's inside without touching a screwdriver. Read on...

Windows 10 and 11 keyboard shortcuts can save time, wrist motions, and for some people, carpal tunnel pain. Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of two or more keys (or a key and a mouse button) that, when pressed simultaneously, perform a task that would normally require moving the mouse around, clicking, and possibly navigating sub-menus. There's even a useful super-secret keystroke that very few people know! Here are some keyboard shortcuts you should know, and try for yourself...

If your precious memories or important files are backed up on CD, DVD or Blu-Ray discs, you might want to go looking for a medium that will protect your documents, photos and videos a bit better. Would you be surprised to learn that a U.S. government study concluded that standard optical discs have an expected lifespan of just 3 to 5 years? Would you like to learn about a data storage solution that promises 100, or even 1000 years? Read on...

Did you know? At midnight on March 31st, the Internet will be temporarily shut down for the annual Spring Cyber Cleaning? Read on to get the scoop on this, Abraham Lincoln's opinion on fake news, and other dubious “facts” about computers and the Internet...

Thanks to the Internet and online search tools, it’s easy for ordinary people to collect copious quantities of information about nearly any person, place or topic. That is indisputably a good thing. However, when it comes to the multi-billion-dollar business of collecting and selling data about other people, that use of the Internet can take a sinister turn. Read on for the scoop on data brokers, how they operate, and what they may know about you...

When things go wrong with your computer, the source of the problem is often in the hard drive. One of the best things you can do to prevent computer problems and improve performance is to keep your hard drive in tip-top shape. Here are some of the most important tasks for hard drive optimization, plus some nifty (and free) software utilities that make getting them done a breeze...

An AskBob reader asked me for tips to speed up his Internet connection. Unless you enjoy watching paint dry, a slow internet connection can be very frustrating, especially when you're trying to stream a movie, play an online game, or just browse the web. Sometimes the slowdown is beyond your control; the Internet is subject to traffic jams and congestion, just like any other highway. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to speed up your internet connection. Here's a bucket of tips and tools that can help you go faster on the information highway...

Identity fraud affected over 27 million U.S. consumers in 2021, with losses over $28 billion. Spikes have been noted in 'new account fraud' and 'account takeover fraud' -- two of the most damaging types of ID theft. In addition, more than 1400 data breaches at major corporations had consumers vulnerable to phishing and other forms of fraud. I haven’t found stats for 2022 yet, but we can assume they’re equally dismal. Read on for my tips on avoiding fraud and identity theft, and see if you've made any mistakes that can make it easier for scammers to victimize you...

An AskBob reader says: 'I need to send occasional email updates to a large group of people. But I've heard that if you do it wrong, you'll get flagged as a spammer, or your emails may never get delivered. What software or services do you recommend to safely and reliably send emails to a list of people?' Read on for some good mass email options, and a few you definitely want to avoid...

Are you ready for flying cars and self-driving baby strollers? Do you want to know what your furry friend is really thinking? And is it time to worry about artificial intelligence taking over the world? Get answers in today's Geekly Update... it's jam-packed with the latest tech news. This issue is guaranteed to make you 146% smarter -- you'll see why. Read, think, and, comment!

Do you know the best time of year to shop for a new or used car? And how is the global chip shortage affecting auto prices and inventory? Today I have some some tips for online auto buying that will help you save money and get the car you want. You may not even have to set foot in a dealer showroom. Read on...

A worried AskBob reader says: “Do I have a computer virus? My computer will sometimes stop and it says I have a virus, and I must call a number on the screen. Then supposedly they will walk me through the process to fix it. Is this true? I have antivirus installed but still, it pops up now and then.” Here's my diagnosis...

Frequent and massive data breaches that reveal personal information on millions of consumers make it much easier for crooks to engage in identity theft. As individuals, we have little or no control over over data breaches, and what criminals do with that information. Even worse, the credit reporting agencies tasked with protecting our confidential information seem to think privacy is a joke. But we do have one important tool to defend ourselves. Today you'll learn how credit freezes work, and how they are different than 'fraud alerts' or 'credit locks'. Oh, and should you freeze ALL SIX of your credit files now? Wait... six? Yes, read on!

Did you see Part One of my “Best of 2022” series? Today, I've got another group of ten very popular AskBob articles for you. These have been selected using semi-sentient AI software that I 'borrowed' from a secret underground laboratory, and with help from injectable nanobots, excerpts from high-profile data breaches, and a guy named Vinny, who knows a guy who lives near the police station in a major metropolitan area. I might possibly have used the AskBob server stats as well. I hope you'll read each one, leave your own comments, and share them with your Email, Facebook and other online friends.

I want express my sincere THANKS to YOU and the 130,198 others who have subscribed to the AskBob newsletter since 2005. This year I celebrated the 17th anniversary of this newsletter, and there are over 3000 articles here now. Many of you are regular readers and contribute comments, which I love. And since I love numbers almost as much as words, I asked my robot to scan the server logs to find the most popular articles of the year. Here are ten of the top articles for you to review. I hope you'll check out each one, leave your own comments, forward this to a friend, and tell them to sign up for more AskBob in 2023!