How-To Geek

LEGO mania has swept over the world of toys and popular culture, and now there are plenty of LEGO lovers who are all grown up. The classic sets come in all shapes, sizes, and prices and make great gifts. But if you’re looking for something a little more creative for the LEGO fan in your life, check out our selections below.

LEGO Stud Tape ($23) This flexible, sticky tape lets you build LEGO decorations almost anywhere. Mayka Toy

Thanks to LEGO’s building system going out of patent protection, there are now plenty of alternate toys available from other manufacturers. None are quite so versatile as LEGO-compatible tape: rollable, stickable tape that lets you fix LEGO figures and bricks to almost any flat surface. It’s inexpensive and it makes a great addition to any LEGO-themed bedroom or desk, letting fans get creative just about anywhere. This tape is available from a variety of vendors in different colors and sizes. 

Buy on Amazon Minifig Packs ($5+) LRGO’s limited edition minifig packs get you exclusive figures in inexpensive packages. LEGO

The LEGO mini-fig is almost as iconic as the bricks themselves, and plenty of fans obsessively collect the tiny and interchangeable LEGO people. If your fan can’t get enough of them, you can find plenty of places that will sell loose packs of minifigs in randomized assortments, or you can track down individual and rare minifigs on secondary markets like eBay and Amazon. Not interesting enough? Search out custom-painted and crafted minifigs from creators on Etsy, for those few pop culture properties that haven’t already been LEGO-fied.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0155L3JY2/

Buy on Amazon

Minifig Head Mug ($15) You might say it’s a bit of a pot head.

Nothing helps a 10-hour build session go by like coffee (or maybe cocoa, if your LEGO fan isn’t old enough). Why not get your drink into the spirit with this minifig-themed mug? You can’t actually build anything with it, but it looks great sitting next to completed sets on your desk or coffee table. For an alternate choice for LEGO fans, go for a mug that’s a gigantic-scale version of the mugs that the Minifigs use themselves, or one that’s covered in building studs. 

Buy on the LEGO Store LEGO Stationary Set ($10+) This themed pencil case and stationery set is a fun way to stay organized. LEGO

LEGO has an official selection of brick-studded office supplies that fit into a pixel case with a flat base plate, with the idea being that you can snap your pens, pencils, rulers, and other classroom detritus into a perfectly-organized space. This stuff is ostensibly for kids, but I think there are plenty of adults (especially in the design and architecture fields) who’d be happy to get it for a birthday or holiday. Start with the pencil box, then search for “LEGO stationary” on Amazon to see the rest of the set.

Buy on Amazon Brick Separator Tool ($5)  It’s a weapon of mass deconstruction. LEGO

LEGO bricks are manufactured with a 10-micrometer tolerance, so when they fit together they aren’t coming apart without some serious force. That can make deconstructing sets (or making up for mistakes) a chore, not to mention nail-breakers. These separation lever tools come with some of the more expensive sets, but they’re easy to lose and come in super-handy if you’re getting more creative. Grab a handful as stocking stuffers and your LEGO fanatic will thank you.

Buy on Amazon Display Cases (Various)  Display cases keep elaborate sets clean and dust-free. iDisplayIt

More elaborate LEGO sets beg to be displayed on shelves and other furniture, but they’re kind of fragile by their very nature—not to mention a serious pain to dust with all of those exposed studs. For those big sets that need to be seen to be appreciated, keep them safe and clean with a transparent display case. Cases made for model cars, ships, and planes work great, but just make sure you measure the assembled set you want to protect and order a cover that will fit. There are plenty of options on Amazon for generic cases, and even some made for minifig collections, but iDisplayIt sells high-quality cases custom cut for specific LEGO sets.

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Fatmawati Achmad Zaenuri/Shutterstock.com

The df and du commands report on disk space usage from within the Bash shell used on Linux, macOS, and many other Unix-like operating systems. These commands let you easily identify what’s using up your system’s storage.

Viewing the Total, Available and Used Disk Space

Bash contains two useful commands related to disk space. To find out the available and used disk space, use df (disk filesystems, sometimes called disk free). To discover what’s taking up the used disk space, use du (disk usage).

Type df and press enter in a Bash terminal window to get started. You’ll see a lot of output similar to the screenshot below. Using  df without any options will display the available and used space for all mounted filesystems. At first glance, it might look impenetrable, but it is quite easy to understand.

df

Each line of the display is made up of six columns.

• Fileystem: The name of this filesystem.
• 1K-Blocks: The number of 1K blocks that are available on this filesystem.
• Used: The number of 1K blocks that have been used on this file system.
• Available: The number of 1K blocks that are unused on this file system.
• Use%: The amount of space used in this file system given as a percentage.
• File: The filesystem name, if specified on the command line.
• Mounted on: The mount point of the filesystem.

You can replace the 1K block counts with more useful output by using the -B (block size) option. To use this option, type df, a space, and then -B and a letter from the list of K, M, G, T, P, E, Z or Y. These letters represent the kilo, mega, giga, tera, peta, exa, zeta, and yotta values from the multiple of 1024 scale.

For example, to see the disk usage figures in megabytes, you would use the following command. Note there is no space between the B and M.

df -BM

The -h (human readable) option instructs df to use the most applicable unit for the size of each filesystem. In the next output note that there are filesystems with gigabyte, megabyte and even kilobyte sizes.

df -h

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Cameron Summerson

Android “fragmentation” has long been a talking point about the OS. As I’ve said before, however, manufacturers are to blame for that. But now I fear that Chrome OS is going down the same path—and this time it’s Google’s fault.

How Chrome OS Updates Differ from Android

I’m going to make some connections between Android and Chrome OS early on here because it only makes sense as a starting point. The biggest difference between the two is that Android is open and available for all manufacturers to modify and redistribute; Chrome OS, by contrast, is fully managed by Google.

On Android, device manufacturers are responsible for slowing down updates. For example, when a new Android version is released, the manufacturer has to modify the source code to fit its needs before releasing it. For example, Samsung had to add all of the One UI features before it could release the Android Pie update for compatible Galaxy devices.

Google, on the other hand, manages all updates for its Pixel devices. That means as soon as a major Android release is ready to go, Google can push it out the door. This is precisely the reason every Android journalist out there (myself included) will tell you to go with a Pixel device if you care about timely updates.

So what does that have to do with Chrome OS? You can think of Chrome OS in the same way you can the Pixel phones’ Android build. The key difference is that while the Pixel is a single line of phones designed and managed by Google, Chrome OS is available on a staggering number of devices from dozens of manufacturers. But in the simplest terms, that doesn’t matter; just know that Chrome OS updates are handled by Google, regardless of the device or manufacturer to which it’s being applied—just like Microsoft handles all updates to Windows machines, regardless of the manufacturer.

Now, that’s not to say that all Chrome OS devices get the updates at the same time. Each build still has to be tweaked to work with each Chrome devices’ specific hardware. As a result, one Chromebook may get an update as soon as it’s ready, while another has to wait a couple of weeks. But the point is that they all still get what should be the same update.

But as more and more features are introduced—especially newer ones that require virtualization like Linux and Android app support—a feature gap is starting to grow between Chrome OS devices, and that’s troubling.

The Chrome OS Feature Gap Conundrum

Chrome OS users were excited when Google first announced it would bring Android apps to Chrome OS. With that one move, Google was able to bring a huge number of useful features, apps, games, tools, and more to an operating system that was long chastised for being “just a web browser.”

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What Size Were The Original Floppy Disks?

1. 5.25 Inches
2. 12 inches
3. 8 Inches
4. 3.5 Inches

Think you know the answer?

Highlighting text draws attention to it. If you subscribe to Office 365, you can highlight text directly in PowerPoint. If you use a desktop version of PowerPoint, you’ll need to use a workaround. We’ll show you both ways.

Highlighting Text in PowerPoint (Office 365 Subscribers)

If you’re an Office 365 subscriber, go ahead and open PowerPoint and move to the slide that contains the text you want to highlight. Once there, select the text by clicking and holding the left mouse button and dragging your cursor over the text.

After you select the text, a popup presents several different font options. Go ahead and click the highlighter icon.

Your text will now be highlighted.

You can also choose between several different colors, as well. If you’d like something besides yellow, click the arrow next to the highlighter icon. A menu will then appear, presenting several different colors. Choose the one you like best.

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Amazon, Best Buy

Is your home starting to feel kind of slow? Inefficient? Dumb? Today’s a great day to upgrade your home with some heavily discounted smart home products.

Right now, there are some great smart home deals on Woot, Amazon, and Best Buy. Our favorite smart home deal (by far) is the Philips Hue set with two Google Home Minis for just $170. With this set, you can easily automate your lights, and kickstart your smart home adventure. Of course, if you’d prefer something with a screen, you could grab the 1st generation Echo Show for just $100. And if you want to upgrade your router to a whole-home system, you could buy the Tenda Nova mesh Wi-Fi kit for just $100.

Of course, smart home products aren’t the only thing on sale today. HP is running a huge deal on laptops and accessories, and Hard Cider Labs is selling a wireless charging mat (in lieu of the now-dead AirPower) for just $60.

Laptops, Routers, Storage, and Computer Accessories

Need a cheap laptop, mesh Wi-Fi system, or storage solution? We’ve got the deals.

• Up to 50% off HP Laptops and Accessories [HP]
• HP 15t Laptop, $500 ($760 off) [HP]
• Dell XPS 13 Laptop, $1,400 ($300 off) [Microsoft]
• Dell 23.8″ Monitor, $190 ($100 off) [Staples]
• Apple USB-C to USB Adapter, $12 ($8 off) [Dailysteals]
• QNAP 4-Bay Network Storage $950 ($50 off) [Amazon]
• Samsung 500GB Portable SSD USB-C, $75 ($25 off with coupon code 50272) [Staples]
• Samsung 256GB Micro SD Card, $40 ($15 off) [Amazon]
• Tenda Nova Mesh Wi-Fi System, $89 ($110 off with coupon clip) [Amazon]
• Linksys AC1900 Smart Wi-Fi Router $70 ($60 off) [Sam’s Club]
• Canon ImageClass All-in-One Laser Printer, $150 ($150 off) [Adorama]

Phones and Wireless Chargers

Grab a cheap new phone, or find a stand-in for Apple AirPower.

• LG V30 64GB Phone Unlocked w/ 3-Month Service Plan, $189 ($100 off) [eBay]
• iOttie Qi/Fast Charge Magnetic Car Charger, $40 ($40 off) [Amazon]
• SliceCharge 2 Wireless Charging Mat, $60 ($20 off) [HardCiderLabs]

Video Games

Grab some great games at a discount, or buy the ubiquitous Garfield Kart for just $0.75.

• Dragon Ball FighterZ Nintendo Switch, $30 ($20 off) [Target]
• The World Ends With You Nintendo Switch, $35 ($12 off) [Walmart]
• Save up to 60% on Batman Games [Microsoft]
• Borderlands The Handsome Collection PS4/Xbox One, $15 ($15 off) [Best Buy]
• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey PS4, $20 ($40 off) [Amazon]
• GOG Weekend Sale, up to 80% off Games [GOG]
• Bayonetta PC, $5 ($15 off) [Steam]
• Garfield Kart PC, $0.75 ($4.25 off) [Gamebillet]
• Sega Genesis Flashback, $48 ($7 off) [Rakuten]

Smart Home Devices

Save hundreds on an Echo Show, or a Philips Hue set with two Google Home Minis.

• Amazon Echo Show 1st Gen, $100 ($130 off) [Woot]
• Philips Hue Set w/ Google Home Mini 2-Pack, $170 ($125 off) [Best Buy]
• Harman/Kardon Allure Alexa-Enabled Smart Speaker, $70 ($130 off) [Dell]

Everything Else

Need to make some great coffee, or expand your Funko Pop collection?

• Baratza Virtuoso Burr Coffee Grinder, $190 ($60 off) [Crate and Barrel]
• Cuisinart 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker, $50 ($50 off) [BransmartUSA]
• Bose Soundsport Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, $115 ($18 off) [Rakuten]
• JBL Clip 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker, $40 ($20 off) [Amazon]
• Funko Pop Figurine Sale [FYE]
• Bella 4 Slice Toaster Oven, $9 ($29 off after $10 mail in rebate) [Macy’s]

Deals for Students

These deals are pretty decent, but they require a student ID.

• Microsoft Surface Wireless Headphones, $300 ($50 off) [Best Buy]
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 64GB w/ Pen, $430 ($220 off) [Best Buy]

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It’s April Fools’ Day, but you won’t find any fake news here. Today we’ll take a look at the top stories from the weekend, including the demise of AirPower, government malware in the Google Play Store, and more.

Apple News: RIP AirPower, 2017-2019

In a shocking bit of new, Apple announced that the AirPower “project” was dead and the product wouldn’t be released.

• Apple kills AirPower, citing failure to meet the company’s high standards. Wild. [Review Geek via TechCrunch]
• Speaking of things Apple decided to kill, the company also announced that it will be shutting down the Texture app on May 28th. It bought this magazine curation app last year, which it then rolled into what we now know as News+. [PC World]
• The company also lost the engineer who led the design of every internally-made chip from the A7 to the A12x. [CNET]
• In happier news, it looks like Apple is gearing up to add Chromecast support to Apple Music. It’s nice to see the company embracing things outside of its own standards. [9to5Google]

It’s unusual to see Apple announce a product while it’s still being tested and designed, and it’s even more unusual for the company to backtrack and cancel an already-announced product. But that’s exactly what happened with AirPower.

You may be curious why AirPower was canceled, even though there are dozens of other multi-device charging pads on the market. The answer is simple: Apple wasn’t satisfied with the status quo and wanted to do something better with AirPower. While most multi-device wireless charging pads have very specific charging spots (where the induction coils are found), Apple wanted AirPower to work in a way that would offer a better experience.

Instead of having to put the phone (or other device) into a specific spot, the company wanted overlapping induction coils so you could just toss your phone, watch, or AirPod case down anywhere and charging would start. No fiddling with finding the exact spot for each device—just a fluid, intuitive experience. It sounds great…on paper, at least.

It turns out it was much harder to execute than the company imagined, and after well over a year of testing, finally proved to be impossible given the company’s high standards. It’s a bummer, no doubt, but I respect them for knowing when to fold ‘em.

Google News: Hey Government, Get Your Malware Out of my Play Store!

In news that we only wish was an April Fools’ joke, a new type of government malware was discovered in the Google Play Store. Also, Google’s goo.gl URL shorter is dead, a new Nest smart display was leaked, and more.

• Motherboard worked with a non-profit research company called Security Without Borders to uncovered a new type of government-backed malware in the Google Play Store. The entire story is fascinating. [Motherboard]
• Google’s goo.gl link shortening service, originally announced in 2009, has now reached its end of life. Existing goo.gl links will still work, but new ones can no longer be created. [Android Police]
• Google accidentally leaked a new product from Alphabet-owned Nest: the Hub Max, a 10-inch smart display with a camera. The leak has since been pulled. [Android Police]
• Firefox and Edge users can now use USB security keys to log into their Google account. This functionality was previously only possible in Chrome. [Engadget]
• In Chrome 75, the first run setup screens got a makeover, which includes setting up dark mode and applying a wallpaper to the start screen. [Techdows]
• Gmail turns 15 years old today! To celebrate, Google is introducing new features, like the ability to schedule sending emails. [Google Blog]
• Google stopped selling the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, leaving only the 3 and 3 XL in the store…for now, at least. Something tells me this is a move to get ready for the upcoming 3a and 3a XL. [Android Police]
• In Android news not directly related to Google, Samsung has promised monthly security updates for the Galaxy S10 family. It also moved a number of other devices, including the S7, to a quarterly update schedule. [Android Police]

Google has protection against malware in the Play Store by way of Google Play Protect, which finds and removes quite a bit of malware every day. But as it’s been proven time and time again, it’s not perfect. This new malware uncovered by Motherboard is proof.

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Andrey Yurlov/Shutterstock.com

Better weather is upon us so it’s the perfect time to buy a new Bluetooth boombox to use outside—whether at a pool party or simply in your yard.

Each of these Bluetooth boomboxes excels at something different: water resistance, power, design features, and we even found one with a CD player for those of you that still rock out to physical media.

Here’s our pick of the best Bluetooth boomboxes, and why they could be your new favorite beach and garden accessory.

Best For Sound Quality: Marshall Kilburn ($178) Marshall

Marshall has the pedigree for being a no-brainer decision when it comes to sound equipment. Its speakers match the same stylings of its famous amps which makes it a stylish fit, whether you’re indoors or outside. The Marshall Kilburn matches those looks with great sound quality.

That’s thanks to its two 3/4″ dome tweeters and 4″ woofer. It has slightly lower powered amps compared to the Marshall Acton, but that simply means its battery life is competent when taking it out and about. You should be able to play music through it for up to about 20 hours with a choice of Bluetooth connectivity, or via the 3.5mm input. Expect clear midranges and extended highs so even the most dedicated audiophile should be happy with the results.

Buy on Amazon Best For A Pool Party: JBL Boombox ($349) JBL

Particularly appropriate for when you love to throw pool parties, the JBL Boombox is rugged enough to deal with a few knocks and scrapes, as well as IPX7 waterproof. That means you can toss it into the pool and it’s fine. It’ll even float in the water if you need it to.

The speaker has four active transducers and two bass radiators so it sounds suitably meaty and powerful at all times. That’s not at the expense of the battery life either. Its 20,000mAh battery will keep it playing music for 24 hours without any difficulty. You can also it to charge external devices if you like.

Connectivity is limited to Bluetooth only but that should serve well for the majority of its users.

Buy on Amazon Best For Power: Aiwa Exos 9 ($450) Aiwa

For those who want the serious wattage in a boombox form factor, you can’t go wrong with the Aiwa Exos 9. It’s expensive compared to others here, but it’s perfect for those times you want a lot of volume in a portable package. Its 5 powered drivers, 6.5″ subwoofer, and 200 watt output are as powerful as they sound, promising to be the loudest portable Bluetooth speaker out there.

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You can do all kinds of great things to make your home look, sound, and feel just how you like with the Home app. If your home has color-changing light bulbs, here’s how to pick the right color for your mood.

After a somewhat slow start, HomeKit is starting to show some of the promise we always knew it had. Its logo is now starting to crop up on the boxes for smart home products from many manufacturers both large and small. That’s great for consumers, but smart homes can be costly. Smart bulbs are a great way to get started without breaking the bank.

Because HomeKit ties into your light bulbs at a deep level, you can use the Home app on your iPhone or iPad to control not just whether the light is on or off, but also what color it is, too.

Using the Home app to Change the Color of Your Lights

To start, open the Home app and locate the light that you want to interact with. If you just want to turn the light on or off, tap it. If you want to change the color, tap and hold, and then choose the “Color” option at the bottom.

 

The next screen shows a collection of color options, but if you’d prefer more fine-grained control over the color, tap the “Edit” button.

There are now two options to choose from, both at the bottom of the screen. If you’d like to select a color temperature, tap “Temperature.” If you’d rather select a color, tap “Color.” Either option will show a color wheel that can be tapped to select a new color.

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YouTube’s new Creator Studio has left beta and is now set the default studio for all users. It’s laid out much differently and has a lot more features and analytics for you to peruse.

The Dashboard

The dashboard isn’t too useful in its current state. Right now, it just shows how well your latest video is doing, as well as an overview of your channel is doing. There are more cards for YouTube news and its Creator Insider newsletter, which feels like it’s just taking up space.

Hopefully, YouTube will add more cards and the ability to customize the dashboard in the future. Until then, you’ll likely want to move further down the sidebar to find anything useful.

The New Analytics Page

Perhaps the biggest and best change in the new studio, the Analytics page is a significant upgrade from the awful analytics YouTube used to have. The old analytics were not very detailed and took a day or two to update. The new analytics update mostly in real time, faster than the video’s view count. Anything that isn’t real-time updates by the hour, except for revenue which usually takes a day to figure itself out.

The overview page is the first thing you’ll see. This shows basic stats about your channel in a graph over time. The default period is “Last 28 Days,” but you can change the timeframe from the menu in the top right corner.

The graph itself is split into four tabs, which you can switch between as you choose. All of the other analytics pages are laid out the same way, with multiple graphs about each topic. You can also hover over the graph to view the specific stats for that day.

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Winter is coming. No, wait, winter is here. No, that happened already: winter is here and so are tons of magic frozen zombies. Yeah, that’s the one. Anyway, here are some gifts for Game of Thrones fans!

The final, climactic season of HBO’s smash hit fantasy series is almost upon us. If you’re looking for some gifts to give a die-hard fan on your way to a weekly watch party, we have you covered. The choices below range in both price and application (hint: don’t buy whiskey for alcoholics and don’t buy real swords for clumsy people), but you should be able to find something awesome for almost any Thrones fan.

Licensed Game of Thrones Alcohol ($13+) Diageo

Game of Thrones is a very Grown Up series for Grown Ups, and nothing goes with political intrigue, gratuitous violence, and hardcore nudity like hard alcohol. There’s a surprising amount of beer, wine, and spirits available to fit the theme. Diageo has no less than eight different themed whiskeys representing the show’s great houses and the Night’s Watch, and there are three vintages of wine (red, chardonnay, and pinot noir) on sale. More of a beer drinker? There are over a dozen options from different breweries, though some may not be in active production at the moment.

Check out Game of Thrones Whiskeys Game of Thrones Glassware ($30+) Game of Thrones

If you’re going to be doing a bunch of drinking for a TV show binge, you might as well make your glasses fit the theme. There are wine glasses, beer glasses, and even elaborate tankards and steins if you really want to get into the period feel of things. Note that you want to follow those links directly for the officially licensed versions: there are a lot of cheap printed glasses just grabbing quotes from the show.

Buy on Amazon Game of Thrones What Do You Meme Expansion ($12) What Do You Meme

One of the most fun parts of being a Game of Thrones fan is sharing images and GIFs online, and the What Do You Meme game makes an excellent match with it for house parties. The base game has players matching more general images with captions, but this officially licensed expansion adds in some of the most often-shared character shots from the series. It’s a great group game, assuming everyone in your home knows the difference between Yara, Yohn, and Ygritte.

Buy on Amazon Sculpted Dragon Egg Candles ($28) Game of Thrones

There’s no electric lighting in Westeros, except possibly in Qyburn’s Frankenstein lab. So to set the correct ambiance, you’ll want candlelight. And what candles could be better than this matching set of wax dragon eggs (by the old gods and the new, Season One was a long time ago). The iconic eggs from the opening chapter of the series make a fun and affordable gift at under thirty bucks.

Buy on Amazon McFarlane Game of Thrones Figures ($26) McFarlane

If you prefer your dragons grown up (spoiler alert), famed action figure maker McFarlane has a series of meticulously detailed dragons ideal for a toy shelf or desk. Drogon the big black dragon is the bigger of the two, but if you’re caught up on last year’s episodes you might want (and this one actually is a SPOILER ALERT, don’t click if you’re not current) this model of Viserion sporting his 2019 regalia. McFarlane also has more conventional figures, all under thirty bucks, or you can get Dark Horse’s official statues if you want something bigger and more elaborate.

Buy on Amazon Official Game of Thrones Valyrian Steel Swords ($250+) Valyrian Steel

For the fan who loves the visceral combat scenes of the series, only the real deal will do: screen-accurate replicas of the most famous swords in the show. Note that these are meant primarily as display pieces, but they’re also actual swords that can be sharpened and wielded, so they might not make good gifts for a recipient with children in the house (or one who lives in a country or municipality that frowns on bladed weapons). Valyrian Steel sells officially licensed swords, plus accessories like scabbards and wall mounts, armor, and even more exotic weapons like spears and warhammerers, all based on the props used by characters in the show.

Buy Valyrian Steel Swords Direwolf Puppy Plushes ($20-70) Factory Entertainment

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The rm and  rmdir commands delete files and directories on Linux, macOS, and other Unix-like operating systems. They’re similar to the del and  deltree commands in Windows and DOS. These commands are very powerful and have quite a few options.

It is important to note that files and directories deleted using rm and rmdir do not get moved to the Trash. They are immediately removed from your computer. If you accidentally delete files using these commands, the only way you’ll be able to restore them is from a backup.

How to Remove Files with rm

The simplest case is deleting a single file in the current directory. Type the rm command, a space, and then the name of the file you want to delete.

rm file_1.txt

If the file is not in the current working directory, provide a path to the file’s location.

rm ./path/to/the/file/file_1.txt

You can pass more than one filename to rm. Doing so deletes all of the specified files.

rm file_2.txt file_3.txt

Wildcards can be used to select groups of files to be deleted. The * represents multiple characters and the ? represents a single character. This command would delete all of the png image files in the current working directory.

rm *.png

This command would delete all files that have a single character extension. For example, this would delete File.1 and File.2, but not File.12.

rm *.?

If a file is write-protected you will be prompted before the file is deleted. You must respond with y or n and press “Enter.”

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April Fools’ Day used to be fun, but no longer. It’s a day of cringe-worthy jokes, fake press releases, and bad pranks that break services like Gmail. Everyone should follow Microsoft’s valiant lead and put a stop to it.

How April Fools’ Day Has Gotten Worse

April Fools’ Day seems to get worse every year. And no, we don’t think it’s just us getting old. The way the Internet works—and the way everyone from tech companies to news websites approaches April Fools’ Day—is fundamentally different.

The BBC’s famous 1957 hoax showed spaghetti being harvested from trees. Sure, maybe this fooled some people, but it was funny. With a bit of knowledge or research, you could discover that this just wasn’t physically possible.

The spaghetti piece aired on the BBC on April Fools’ Day and didn’t become a segment that aired over and over throughout the year—unlike online, where you can stumble into fake articles months later and be misled before realizing they were published on April Fools’ Day.

The Internet is different now. Tech companies often “announce” products that could actually be real—but they aren’t, because it’s April Fools’ Day!

Of course, to make things extra confusing, crazy announcements on April Fool’s Day can be real. Gmail was famously announced on April Fools’ Day in 2004, and people thought it was fake because there was no way Google could offer 1 GB of email storage. After all, Hotmail only offered 2 MB (0.2% of Gmail’s storage) at the time. So is it any surprise when people believe Google might actually announce a lawn gnome with Google Assistant, or an app store for pets, or even self-driving bicycles? People expect companies not to deceive them with fake press releases, and it’s easy to overlook the date—especially when you find that story days or weeks later.

It’s not just about misleading stories. Some pranks get in the way and cause problems. Google’s 2016 Gmail “mic drop” prank added a button to Gmail that archived the current email thread, muted it, and sent an animated GIF of a Minion. Many people accidentally clicked this button—and Gmail sometimes accidentally activated the feature even if you didn’t click it! Suddenly Gmail just muted one of your email threads so you won’t see any replies—what a funny prank, right?

April Fools’ Day all used to be in good fun, but, when tech companies tamper with the tools we all use and cause problems, it’s time to draw the line—or, as Google might put it, drop the mic.

Google

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For Their April Fool’s Day Prank In 1965, The BBC Claimed They Could Wirelessly Transmit What?

1. Beatles' Concert Tickets
2. Smells
3. Candy
4. Shillings

Think you know the answer?

Everyone loses data at some point in their lives. Your computer’s hard drive could fail tomorrow, ransomware could hold your files hostage, or a software bug could delete your important files. If you’re not regularly backing up your computer, you could lose those files forever.

Backups don’t have to be hard or confusing, though. You’ve probably heard about countless different backup methods, but which one is right for you? And what files do you really need to back up?

It’s All About Your Personal Data

Let’s start with the obvious: what do you need back up? Well, first and foremost, you need to back up your personal files. You can always reinstall your operating system and redownload your programs if your hard drive fails, but your own personal data is irreplaceable.

Any personal documents, photos, home videos, and any other data on your computer should be backed up regularly. Those can never be replaced. If you’ve spent hours painstakingly ripping audio CDs or video DVDs, you may want to back those files up, too, so you don’t have to do all that work over again.

Your operating system, programs, and other settings can also be backed up. You don’t have to back them up, necessarily, but it can make your life easier if your entire hard drive fails. If you’re the type of person that likes to play around with system files, edit the registry, and regularly update your hardware, having a full system backup may save you time when things go wrong.

The Many Ways to Back Up Your Files

There are many ways to back up your data, from using an external drive to backing up those files on a remote server over the Internet. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of each:

• Back Up to an External Drive: If you have an external USB hard drive, you can just back up to that drive using your computer’s built-in backup features. On Windows 10 and 8, use File History. On Windows 7, use Windows Backup. On Macs, use Time Machine. Occasionally connect the drive to the computer and use the backup tool, or leave it plugged in whenever your home and it’ll back up automatically. Pros: Backing up is cheap and fast. Cons: If your house gets robbed or catches on fire, your backup can be lost along with your computer, which is very bad.

• Back Up Over the Internet: If you want to ensure your files stay safe, you can back them up to the internet with a service like Backblaze. Backblaze is the well-known online backup service we like and recommend since CrashPlan no longer serves home users, but there are also competitors like Carbonite and MozyHome. For a low monthly fee (about $5 a month), these programs run in the background on your PC or Mac, automatically backing up your files to the service’s web storage. If you ever lose those files and need them again, you can restore them. Pros: Online backup protects you against any type of data loss–hard drive failure, theft, natural disasters, and everything in between. Cons: These services usually cost money (see the next section for more details), and the initial backup can take much longer than it would on an external drive–especially if you have a lot of files.

• Use a Cloud Storage Service: Backup purists will say this isn’t technically a backup method, but for most people, it serves a similar enough purpose. Rather than just storing your files on your computer’s hard drive, you can store them on a service like Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or a similar cloud storage service. They’ll then automatically sync to your online account and to your other PCs. If your hard drive dies, you’ll still have the copies of the files stored online and on your other computers. Pros: This method is easy, fast, and in many cases, free, and since it’s online, it protects you against all types of data loss. Cons: Most cloud services only offer a few gigabytes of space for free, so this only works if you have a small number of files you want to back up, or if you’re willing to pay for extra storage. Depending on the files you want to back up, this method can either be simpler or more complicated than a straight-up backup program.

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Which Planet Has Only Orbited The Sun Once Since It Was Discovered?

1. Jupiter
2. Neptune
3. Uranus
4. Mars

Think you know the answer?

Kostenko Maxim/Shutterstock.com

Gardening is a satisfying hobby for so many reasons—your outdoor space looks great, you’ve helped cultivate new life, and you even get some crops or flowers in return. We’ve checked out the best subscription boxes for gardeners so that your green finger endeavors are even more successful.

Every gardener has different aims in life. You might be keen to make it your main way to spend your free time throughout the year, or you might prefer to simply dabble in the pastime. We’ve got different subscription boxes in mind for such occasions. There’s also room for those enthusiasts who don’t have the space at home to cram everything in, and those that are more avid chefs than they are gardeners.

Here’s our pick of the best subscription boxes currently out there.

Best For The Seasonal Approach: PlowBox ($45 per quarter) PlowBox

If you’re keen to maintain your garden all year round, even though the cold months, then PlowBox is perfectly geared towards your needs. Each quarter, it provides subscribers with relevant items that suit the time of year well.

Simply tell the service your garden’s climate and things are well attuned to your requirements. There’s even a handy explanation of what’s meant by a cold climate or even a tropical climate, so you don’t have to think too hard about what PlowBox could mean. Boxes contain things like seeds, informative guides on how to maintain your land at that time of year, as well as little extras like soaps or tools.

All the seeds are organic and come from Seattle Seed Company so you know you’re getting high-quality products. There are also member discounts for other products throughout the year.

Subscribe to PlowBox Best For The House Plant Gardener: House Plant Box (From $12 per month) House Plant Box

Are you a keen gardener but you don’t actually have a garden to maintain? Subscribe to House Plant Box and you can feel like you’re part of the action. Each month, you’re sent in-season houseplants specially chosen from the company’s greenhouses. Depending on which type of subscription you choose, this can be a selection of indoor house plants, air plants, or some succulents.

$12 per month gets you the basic package with premium monthly plans available for $30 per month and providing a larger assortment of plants. In all cases, you get detailed care guides, plus occasional surprises like fertilizer, planters, or terrariums. Pet owners can also opt to receive only pet-friendly plants each month so there’s no risk there.

It’s an ideal service if you want your home to look great but you don’t have the time (or inclination) to go looking for plants yourself.

Subscribe to House Plant Box Best For The Gardener With Limited Space: Urban Organic Gardener ($9.99 per month) Urban Organic Gardener

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Josh Hendrickson

Waking up can be hard, but Alexa can make it easier. Alexa won’t make you any less sleepy or drag you out of bed, but it can make your morning routine much more efficient.

Routines For Weather, Traffic, Lights, and Snoozing

If you’re like a lot of people, you wake up (eventually), try to catch some news, check your email, get dressed, figure out weather and traffic conditions, and get coffee (maybe even breakfast!) before leaving for work. It’s a lot to get done, and it probably doesn’t help that you hit the snooze button three or four times—even though you swore yesterday was the last time you would ever do that again.

What if you could at least make your mornings more productive? Instead of having to pull out your phone to check news, then weather, and then traffic, you could have a routine take care of all of that. If you have smarthome tech, you could even consider rolling in routines to bring up the lights, turn on the coffee maker, and warm up (or cool down) the house. With a few delayed routines, you can even bring up lights slowly, like a sunrise clock.

If you want to take things a step further, you could add Echo buttons to your routines and give you a physical object to slap that will snooze Alexa, like alarm clocks of old. We’ll show you how to put together some morning routines to make getting out of bed more bearable—or at least save yourself some time in the morning.

Putting the Routine Together

Creating morning routines will follow similar steps to any other routines you’ve created. Open the Alexa app, and then tap the hamburger menu.

Tap “Routines.”

Tap the Plus (+) button in the upper right-hand corner to create a new routine.

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What Subtle Message Does Mars Rover Curiosity’s Wheels Leave Behind?

1. (JPL) Jet Propulsion Lab
2. (RDB) Ray Douglas Bradbury
3. (CES) Carl Edward Sagan
4. (NASA) National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Think you know the answer?

Jason Fitzpatrick

I really love wireless charging, but I don’t love packing multiple wireless chargers when I travel. The Unravel travel charger from Ampere makes it simple to pack light. Now that AirPower is dead, it’s an even more compelling product.

At CES 2019 I got a chance to take a peek at the Unravel in person and was really impressed with the design. While everyone was waiting for AirPower to arrive, here was this company with not just a triple charging pad but one that could fold up to pack and even transform. With the hot-off-the-press news that Apple’s AirPower project is dead, the Unravel looks better than ever.

The project was then a successful Kickstarter gearing up for distribution and is now available for purchase on Amazon so everybody can get in on the clever design without a trip to CES or playing the Kickstarter lottery. But should they get in on it? Let’s take a look at the design and features of the Unravel.

What It Is: A Jacob’s Ladder for Your Gadgets

When you first unpack the Unravel it looks a lot like a Jacob’s Ladder toy, folded up and waiting. Like a Jacob’s Ladder the design is pretty clever (but far more useful for our modern needs).

The charger is three separate 10w wireless charging panels all hinged together and powered by an included 60w USB-C charger. All three panels offering Qi wireless charging which you can use with any Qi compatible phone including the iPhone 8 and above, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S10 lineups, the Google Pixel 3, as well as Qi-compatible accessories like these wireless AirPod cases and Apple’s own wireless charging case. In addition to that, one of the panels is not only a general Qi-compatible charging pad but will also charge your Apple Watch.

In the most compact form, it looks like this:

Jason Fitzpatrick

When completely folded up as it is in the photo above the charger is still fully functional, but only the top charging pad is operational. This position is handy if you don’t need to use all the pads or you want to drape your Apple Watch over it (if you’ve got a particularly stiff curled band that just won’t lay flat). Speaking of that, it’s a great design choice to put the one panel that supports the Apple Watch at the top of the stack like this so you’re able to use the charger, in the “single stack” mode, the way you want.

Jason Fitzpatrick

The second way you can use the charger is to completely unfold it flat. In this position, you can charge three devices be it three different phones or a mix of phones, an Apple Watch, and other accessories like the AirPod wireless charging case.

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