 December 1, 2022
 🎄 Christmas shopping online? Chances are you've visited a site that pops an alert in the middle of the page saying something like:
"Sign up for our newsletter and save 10%!"
In most cases, these promotions are legitimate offers. It might be worthwhile to enter your email address and save a few bucks. I've signed up for several similar promos, then canceled my newsletter subscription shortly after my purchase.
November 3, 2022
 With so many tech stocks on the clearance rack right now, it's the perfect time for large, profitable companies to go bargain hunting. Below are some acquisitions I think would make sense.
1. Apple should buy Spotify
2. Google should buy Fastly
3. Meta should buy Nextdoor
I'm not a professional stock analyst, but I have been in the IT industry for over 20 years and have been investing for over 25. Based on this knowledge, I think these three acquisitions could benefit all the companies involved.
November 1, 2022
 Everything seems to be a subscription these days. From streaming services to in-app purchases, those monthly recurring charges can add up. Reviewing your credit card statement and realizing you've been paying for a subscription you're not using is especially frustrating.
One way to avoid wasteful spending is to cancel your subscription as soon as you sign up. If you signed up for a free trial or are unlikely to use the service long-term, you can cancel the subscription right away. Nearly all subscriptions allow you to use the service through the end of the trial period or for the time you've already paid.
I canceled my Apple Fitness+ membership last week, but I can still use it through March next year.
October 1, 2022
 Need to email one or more large files to a friend or colleague? Make it easy for them and send a compressed archive.
Emailing a compressed archive has several benefits versus sending the original files:
- It reduces the attachment size. The amount of compression varies widely between different file formats, but sometimes you'll reduce the file size by more than 50%. Maximum attachment sizes vary between mail servers, so it's best to keep attached file(s) as small as possible.
- It saves disk space. Attachments fill up email accounts much faster than the messages themselves. By keeping them as small as possible, you'll save space in both your recipient's Inbox and your Sent folder.
- It reduces clutter. If you're emailing more than two or three files, a single compressed archive is more manageable for the recipient.
- It improves deliverability. Mail servers often disallow attachments with certain filenames and file extensions for security purposes. You can bypass most of these filters by sending a single .ZIP archive.
Both Windows and macOS make it easy to create compressed Zip archives.
September 24, 2022
 The 2012 15" MacBook Pro is the best Mac I've ever owned. It's a surprising statement since I don't even like laptops. I prefer my standard desktop computer setup with three 27" monitors, a mechanical keyboard, and two mice. But the 2012 Retina MacBook Pro was so perfectly designed that I grew to love it. After ten years, the screen went dark, and the legendary laptop was laid to rest.
It was finally time to upgrade, and fortunately, Apple had just released the new M2 MacBook Air. I ordered mine with the following specs:
- Midnight blue
- M2 1-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
- 16 GB unified memory
- 1 TB storage
I've been using the new "MBA" for about two months, which has given me ample time to put it through its paces. How does it measure up to the legendary 15" MBP? Read on to find out.
September 1, 2022
How many files are in your Downloads folder? If you haven't checked in a while, you might be surprised. While a cluttered desktop is easy to spot, a crowded Downloads folder is more insidious, steadily growing behind the scenes.
Just like it's wise to organize your photos monthly, it's also a good idea to clean out your Downloads folder on a regular basis. The default folder for your Internet downloads is likely filled with installers, compressed archives, and other documents.
You can delete most installers since they have already served their purpose. Compressed archives you've expanded are redundant data, so you can remove those as well. If other documents are floating around your Downloads folder, you can manually review them, move the ones you want to keep, and delete the ones you don't need.
Previous PC Updates →
- PC (Per Christensson)
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