Stories by Rick Broida

Do you still go to Twitter.com every time you want to tweet something? That, my friends, is one colossal waste of time (not to mention a hassle).

Wouldn't it be cool if you had a "magic" folder on your PC, one that automatically synced its contents with the Web, your other PCs, your cell phone, and other devices?

Reader Thomas is having a problem with his six-year-old Windows XP Professional system: When he plugs in a flash drive, Windows doesn't recognize it -- but other USB devices work just fine. Before I reveal the solution to this vexing problem, Thomas, a quick slap on the wrist: you didn't give me nearly enough information in your initial e-mail. So to you and all other readers, I kindly ask that you read my Hassle-Free PC post on how to ask for tech help. You'll greatly increase your chances of a response if you follow those simple guidelines.

Want to clean and optimize your PC? You've probably heard of CCleaner, arguably the world's most popular tool for doing the job. Developer Piriform just released CCleaner 3.0. The big news in this update? A native 64-bit version for use with like editions of Windows.

Reader Tom is dealing with this major hassle:

Android-powered phones are all the rage these days, with sexy new models available from all the major carriers (not just AT&T, ahem).

One of the things I miss about Windows Vista -- okay, the only thing I miss about Vista -- is the Sidebar. Much as I applaud Microsoft's decision to liberate its desktop gadgets, to make it so you can position them anywhere you like, did it have to be at the expense of the Sidebar itself?

A couple weeks ago, Google took the wraps off Priority Inbox, a clever Gmail feature that helps separate the message wheat from the message chaff.

Like many people, I have more music and videos than can possibly fit on my iPhone. What am I supposed to do? Delete all my episodes of "Firefly" to make room for "Flight of the Conchords"? Am I supposed to not listen to Brendan Benson because he can't fit alongside my Green Day library?

Many moons ago I wrote about TouchFreeze, a free laptop utility that solves one of life's most maddening problems: accidental swipes of your touchpad while typing. (Why isn't Windows smart enough to do this on its own? Just saying.)

Perhaps you heard the news yesterday about a fake Facebook "dislike" button that quickly spread virally across the service.

If you're a Kindle owner, you've probably discovered the device's enviable ability to bookmark pages, highlight passages, and add notes (a.k.a. annotations).

A reader has noticed that the Wi-Fi at her local library has slowed considerably in recent months, and she's wondering what's causing it: "Is it our computers, bogged down with too much junk, or is it something to do with the library's system?"

It's been almost a year since I served up some nice, hot laptop tips--and that's inexcusable. I'll make it up to you this week with some useful advice on adding memory to a laptop, turning an old laptop hard disc into an external drive, and using your laptop's power settings effectively.

Happy Clean-Your-Keyboard Day! Okay, I made that up, but think about it: when was the last time you did anything with your keyboard besides drop cookie crumbs on it?