25 Years of Wi-Fi & Why Do Alkaline Batteries Leak?

June 30, 2022

Did You Know?

Despite the popular misconception that “zillions” is an actual number (often placed in order after trillions), it simply refers (often comedically) to a very large number of indeterminate size.

Happy Thursday! Google is updating its ‘Switch to Android’ app for iPhone and iPad to work with all Android 12+ phones, so it’s easier than ever to replace your iPhone with a Samsung Galaxy device or Google Pixel. If you go with a Pixel, iFixit now sells genuine replacement parts, so you’ll be able to fix your own screen or replace a battery if the need arises.

Samsung also just announced the Galaxy XCover6 Pro, a rugged smartphone with a few features we don’t see much anymore, like an easily-replaceable battery. I hope it comes to the United States, because I kind of want one.

– Corbin

It’s been a quarter-century since the IEEE introduced the 802.11 Wi-Fi standard. Since then, speeds have increased, and wireless internet has changed the world. Here’s a look back. Read More »

Microsoft’s antivirus tools for Windows have changed a lot over the years. The “Defender” branding has been used for a number of things—now it’s even available for Android, and iPhone. But what the heck does it do? Read More »

If your feet don’t quite reach the floor when you’re sitting at your desk, you need a footrest. Properly sitting alleviates aches and pains, but it also promotes proper posture. However, the right kind of footrest is going to be different for everyone. Kensington’s footrest, however, will be perfect for most people.

For $49, you’ll get a footrest that’s easy to adjust with your hands or feet, memory foam to keep you comfortable, and a non-skid bottom so it doesn’t slip out of place. Grab this, and your body will thank you.

Raspberry Pi has been selling compact and cheap computers for over a decade now, but in recent history, the company has also expanded into programmable embedded boards. Now another non-computer Raspberry Pi has arrived for the low price of just $6. Read More »

Roku streaming devices and TVs have offered free movies, TV shows, and “live” channels for a while now through the pre-installed Roku Channel. Starting today, the Roku Channel now has local news stations. Read More »

If you’re building a whole home audio system, you need more speakers than a standard hi-fi or home theater setup. But do all your components need to be the same brand, or can you mix and match? Read More »

There’s a lot to cover in this week’s GFN Thursday, so listen up. We’ve got details on new games coming to the service today, a full roster of titles that will be joining NVIDIA GeForce NOW next month, a great sale on SteelSeries controllers, and more. So without further ado, let’s dive in. Read More »

GeForce NOW is NVIDIA’s game streaming service, which has gained some popularity for its integration with Steam and other existing game libraries. Now you can play GeForce NOW somewhere else: your smart TV. Read More »

Headphone jacks, expandable storage, and swappable batteries used to be common on the best Android phones, but have become increasingly rarer. Those features aren’t gone for good, though, and at least some of them can be found in the Galaxy XCover6 Pro smartphone that Samsung just revealed. Read More »

The way we work has changed drastically in the last several years, and as a result, so has the way teammates connect. Today, your business needs a hybrid communication solution for your in-office employees, remote workers, and everyone in between. RingCentral offers a robust communication platform with voice, text, conferencing, web meetings, and fax capabilities — everything you need to keep your business connected and thriving — in a single package.
Learn more and get a free quote here!

When it comes to recreating the bombast of a theater in your home, audio is every bit as important as a big screen. Finding the best home theater system to match your TV can be difficult, but not with these picks. Read More »

When shopping for a solid-state drive or SSD, you are bound to come across a term called TBW. It represents the endurance level of an SSD. Here’s why it matters and how you can understand it. Read More »

Amazon normally charges $139 a year for Prime. But you don’t have to pay that much to get access to the sales on Prime Day. There are some cheaper (even free!) ways to score Prime. Read More »

The Benks Grand Pro Headphone Stand with Wireless Charging looks great on any desk or counter and is the perfect spot to hang your headphones. Plus, the built-in wireless charging capabilities work to power up your QI-enabled devices. Read More »

Mental health hasn’t always been a mainstream topic. Fortunately, humans are always finding ways to expand our knowledge with new techniques to treat what ails us. Mobile games are an especially interesting way to cope with mental health illnesses and add an overall mood boost. Read More »

It happens to the best of us: You open a gadget and see crusty white powder and sometimes metal corrosion inside. Your alkaline batteries have leaked! But why does it always happen? We’ll get to the bottom of it. Read More »

Accessing the BIOS on your Windows 11 PC can help you solve a variety of problems or allow you to adjust low-level settings. There are multiple ways you can enter BIOS, and we’ll show you how to use all of them. Read More »

Google and iFixit teamed up earlier this year to offer genuine replacement parts and repair guides for Google Pixel phones, with the goal of making self-repairs as easy as possible. Now the promised parts are available to purchase. Read More »

Indenting paragraphs in Google Docs requires access to the ruler, which you’ll only find in the full web version. The ruler is not present in the mobile apps. Read More »

Microsoft Word’s dark mode applies a dark theme to your entire user interface. If you’d like to keep your page’s color white while still using dark mode, or if you’d like to bring Word back to light mode, there are ways to do that. We’ll show you how. Read More »

To avoid getting your formulas messed up, you can lock the cells that contain formulas while keeping all other cells unlocked in your Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. We’ll show you how to do just that. Read More »

Google released an official ‘Switch to Android’ app for iPhone and iPad earlier this year, making it easier to move all your stuff to a new Android phone. Starting today, the app works with even more Android phones. Read More »

Google started rolling out an updated design for Gmail on the web earlier this year, with Material You-inspired tweaks and a new sidebar. Now Google is ready to bring the fresh look to everyone. Read More »

An iPhone’s IMEI number is a 15-17 digit identifier that distinguishes it from all other iPhones, and it can sometimes be helpful to find out what it is. Here’s why—and how to do it. Read More »

There’s a lot for gamers to love in this edition of How-To Geek deals. To finish out the month of June, we’re sharing big discounts on RTX 3080 GPUs, Xbox Series X|S controllers, game streamer webcams, and more. Jump down for all the details. Read More »