here's the thing | making sense of gadgets and technology

Android tip: Find out what’s hogging all your storage space

Running out of storage space on your Android phone? Well, there’s a wide range of space-hogging suspects, from massive video and photo files to apps that are hoarding far too much data. Read More

Windows 8.1 tip: How to boot directly to the desktop

by ben patterson

in desktops| how-tos| laptops

Wish your Windows 8 PC would simply display the familiar Windows desktop when you log into your system, rather than first making a stop at the flashy new “Start” screen? Read More

10 handy iOS 7 tips & tricks you need to know

by ben patterson

in how-tos| phones| tablets

Just getting started with Apple’s radically reveamped iOS 7 update for iPhone and iPad? Get your bearings with these 10 tips and tricks, from blocking calls and closing apps to securing the new “lock” screen and monitoring your cellular data usage. Read More

Mac/Windows tip: How to make folders open in a new window

by ben patterson

in desktops| how-tos| laptops

Back in the day, opening a folder on your PC’s or Mac’s desktop always opened a brand-new folder window, even if the folder you were opening was sitting in another folder. Read More

iOS 7 tip: How to access “list” view in the new Calendar app

by ben patterson

in applications| how-tos| phones| tablets

Peter writes: I like the list view for my calendar. Have we lost this with iOS 7? Read More

5 good reasons to upgrade from Windows 8 to 8.1

by ben patterson

in desktops| how-tos| laptops

So, still using Windows 7, Vista, or an older version of Windows? Happy with what you’ve got? If so, I’m not here to convince you to upgrade to Windows 8. Read More