Tech updates from around the web

I replaced Drive's folder sync with a 12-line rclone job and it does more than Google ever did

I stopped judging my Wi-Fi by the signal bars — this number tells me much more

Windows’ best storage feature isn’t even turned on by default

I disabled one router setting I'd never heard of, and my video calls stopped dropping

Brushless is worth paying for — but not on these power tools

This developer setting was keeping my Android phone awake for no good reason

I replaced my entire student toolkit with these 5 apps and ditched the rest

Toshiba ordered the inventor of flash memory to discontinue it — he refused

These 3 new Excel functions ended a decade of my complicated text-cleaning formulas

My router was letting downloads destroy my latency — this setting changed everything

I stopped installing utility apps after finding what Windows 11 already had

The best Windows 11 security feature comes with one responsibility most people never think about

Firefox has a panic button for runaway tabs and almost nobody uses it

I built the Google Photos alternative I actually control

I found a 33-year-old Windows feature that's still hiding in plain sight

Today is the last day to manage your Google Drive's Photo backups — here's what to do

4 free tools that find what’s wrong with your internet in minutes

My favorite gadget this year is also the one that scares me most

I built my own Wayback Machine, and now I never lose web pages

QR code scams are stealing from 26 million Americans — here's the ten-second check that stops them

I added a floating taskbar to my Android phone and cut app-switching almost completely

Windows added a feature Linux users have had for decades — and most people still don't know it's there

I forced Pixel onto 4G for a week, and the battery difference was ridiculous

A developer rebuilt Notepad without the AI, and now it's exactly what the original was

I called file copies “backups” for years — Restic proved me wrong in a weekend

I stopped syncing Chrome data and freed up 40% of my CPU

Your Android keyboard remembers more than you realize — here's where it all goes

I turned my Android into a custom macro controller using a free app

I swapped Task Manager for a 17-year-old free app that runs circles around it

Windows’ New menu was useless until I added my own files to it

My old Android phone runs real Windows games locally, and wrapper is why

5 network services worth self-hosting before a media server

There's a 40-year-old bug in every copy of Excel and Microsoft says it will never fix it

3 reasons I'd pay $200 more for the Z Fold 8 Ultra over the Z Fold 8

Stop trusting the gold badge on your power supply — here's what actually matters