“General” collection
Access a diverse collection of miscellaneous technology reviews, specialized DIY tool assessments, and unique lifestyle articles. From niche electrical equipment to general digital organization tips, this section covers the broad spectrum of a tech-focused life.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →October 23, 2014
13 Tips to Optimize Your Mac After Yosemite Installation [UPDATED]
As most of us know, Apple's latest operating system Yosemite (10.10), a free upgrade from Apple, is now available. And with it come a lot of nice new features, visuals and enhancements. But, as with any upgrade, there is always the possibility of having issues. While I had been running the Developer Preview on my MacBook Air and had not…
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October 10, 2014
Drowning out the Noise – iHome iB50 Noise Canceling Headphones
Someday, some creative inventor will design some noise canceling headphones that removes office conversations or screaming kids completely. Until then, we will have to survive with noise canceling headphone that simply remove droning background noise that happen in airplanes or on trains. I don't travel much, so I wasn't able to test this out on a plane, but I do…
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September 30, 2014
How to Fix iTunes Error 1723 When Syncing iPhone or iPad
I stumbled across an error when I was syncing my Apple iPhone 5S running on Apple's iOS 8 with iTunes on my Mac. It was an iTunes Error 1723. Apple errors are always a bit cryptic and sometimes require you to do some searching to find a solution. So, hopefully you found this article while searching for "how to fix…
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September 27, 2014
Parents Guide to Social Media Apps Used by Kids
I was recently asked by a reader of my site (Denise) if I could put together a chart that lists out some of the main social media sites used by tweens and teens and if I could provide some commentary on how they are dangerous (or not) for kids - essentially, a Parents Guide to Social Media apps used by…
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September 18, 2014
The Best Way to Install iOS 8 & Not Delete Apps & Data
Apple's iOS 8 has been released and people are complaining that they have to delete applications and/or data and media in order to install the new mobile operating system. This is true if you do an OTA (Over The Air) update. Sometimes, even connecting to iTunes on your computer and trying to do the upgrade there prevents you from doing…
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September 17, 2014
Direct Download Links for Apple iOS 8 & Prep and Install Tips [UPDATED]
Apple's newest version of their operating system (Apple iOS 8) for iPhones and iPads is now available. There are a few ways that you can update. You can plug your compatible iOS device (iPhone 4S and newer, iPod Touch 5th gen or iPad 2 or newer) into your computer and connect with iTunes and do the upgrade that way, you…
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September 15, 2014
Running Flat But In Style – Likes & Dislikes of the 2014 BMW X5 xDrive35i
I've been test driving cars for a several years now. It's definitely a lot of fun to try out the latest and greatest designs by a car manufacturer. Other than having to sometimes pry the keys from my hands with some cars when I have to return them, for the most part, I haven't had any type of issues. That…
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September 11, 2014
How to Turn Off Facebook’s Auto-Play Videos & Save Data
If you are anything like me, you watch your cell phone's data consumption very closely. And given that I have 4 other people on my family shared plan (3 of them being teens & almost a teen), there are some apps that simply gulp down data. Tweens and teens absolutely LOVE image and video apps (think Instagram, Vine, SnapChat and…
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September 3, 2014
How To Change the Default Browser on Mac with Chrome Canary and Chrome
Google recently released a 64-bit version of its browser, Chrome Canary. If you want what Google calls "the bleeding edge of the web" type of browser, you can download and install Google Chrome Canary for Mac (or Windows). It has the latest features and is targeted towards early adopters, developers and the like. I had been using the beta channel…
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August 28, 2014
HighTechDad Does the ALS “Ice” Bucket Challenge – #IceBucketChallenge
The ALS #IceBucketChallenge has been spreading like wildfire across the Internet and honestly, I think it is brilliant. Supposedly, it wasn’t even a campaign thought up by the ALS Association which is a non-profit organization working to fight Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Regardless, the #IceBucketChallenge has done wonders to raise awareness of the disease…
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July 21, 2014
NETGEAR ReadyNAS Review – Enterprise Network Attached Storage for the Home
I was dreading writing this review actually. And it wasn’t because the product is bad, quite the opposite actually. The product is actually quite good. It’s the number of features and configuration options that were making me drag my feet in doing my review. I was a bit overwhelmed as I had a couple of directions I could follow -…
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June 30, 2014
Has the Magic Kingdom lost its Magic?
My family and I headed down to Disneyland a few weeks ago. It was to reward my kids for a successful year at school and a way for all of us as a family to do something together before we splintered off in different directions during the summer and even the coming years. So, I figured it would be good…
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