These Gadgets Banish Mosquitos

Did You Know?: Rice farmers don’t keep rice fields irrigated to the point that there is standing water because rice plants require that much water, but rather because rice plants can tolerate that much water and other plants cannot—the water acts as a natural weed deterrent that kills everything but the rice. [Read in Browser]( [How-To Geek]() June 24, 2022 Did You Know? Rice farmers don’t keep rice fields irrigated to the point that there is standing water because rice plants require that much water, but rather because rice plants can tolerate that much water and other plants cannot—the water acts as a natural weed deterrent that kills everything but the rice. 🪟 The end is near (for Windows 8.1) Happy Friday! Windows 8.1 reaches the end of its support life in January 2023, and Microsoft is going to [start sending notifications]( to anyone still using it, asking them to upgrade. Windows 11 won’t run on any PCs built for Windows 8.1, though. Meanwhile, [Steam has kicked off its yearly Summer Sale](, with [thousands of great games on sale](. Speaking of games, [the latest update for Microsoft Edge]( has a few game-related features. – Corbin Never miss a newsletter! Add our email address to your contacts. [Learn more...]( TODAY'S TOP STORY [These Gadgets Banish Mosquitos]( [These Gadgets Banish Mosquitos]( Summer is great, but there’s something tiny that can be a big nuisance this time of year: Mosquitos. Lathering on the bug spray is not your only defense against these bloodsuckers. A clever gadget is all you need. [Read More »]( [What Is Data Roaming, and How Can You Avoid Paying for It?]( [What Is Data Roaming, and How Can You Avoid Paying for It?]( Data roaming is actually a very simple concept. You have a mobile carrier that provides data to your smartphone when it’s not connected to Wi-Fi. However, as you know, your carrier’s network is not limitless. [Read More »]( STUFF WE LIKE [Cool Down With a Portable Clip Fan]( [Cool Down With a Portable Clip Fan]( Xasla It’s officially summer, and it’s already hot outside. Your workspace might be feeling a bit stuffy and warm, and it’s not always easy to fit a fan in the right place. But, if you get a clip fan like this one from Xasla, you’ll be able to get some air flowing in your space in no time. What’s great about this clip fan is that it’s easy to recharge via USB-C or Micro USB—no need to swap out batteries or find a place to plug it in. Coupled with the 10,000 mAh battery lasting an entire day, and you have a hassle-free fan for the heat. [Get it at Amazon →]( [Microsoft Really Wants You to Stop Using Windows 8.1]( [Microsoft Really Wants You to Stop Using Windows 8.1]( Microsoft released Windows 8.1 all the way back in 2013, and it has since been replaced by Windows 10 and 11. Now the operating system is reaching the end of its support cycle, and Microsoft really wants you to upgrade. [Read More »]( IN CASE YOU MISSED IT [4 Ways You’re Damaging Your Laptop’s Battery]( [4 Ways You’re Damaging Your Laptop’s Battery]( Are you taking proper care of the battery in your laptop? While chips are getting more efficient and battery life is increasing, avoiding a few mistakes can help extend your laptop battery health in the long term. [Read More »]( [What Is Google’s LaMDA AI, and Why Does a Google Engineer Believe It’s Sentient?]( [What Is Google’s LaMDA AI, and Why Does a Google Engineer Believe It’s Sentient?]( A senior engineer at Google has claimed that the company’s LaMDA AI has become sentient. Whether you find this alarming or exciting, it’s a mighty bold claim, and perhaps one that’s hard to prove even if it were completely true. [Read More »]( [Two Potential iPhone Competitors Just Fizzled Out]( [Two Potential iPhone Competitors Just Fizzled Out]( Producing a smartphone is really hard, which is why two startup companies promising to do just that — OSOM and ‘Nothing’ — have garnered plenty of attention with their Android phone announcements. Unfortunately, the hype trains came to a sudden stop this week. [Read More »]( [How to Enable Developer Options on Amazon Fire TV]( [How to Enable Developer Options on Amazon Fire TV]( To enable ADB debugging or install apps from outside the official Amazon Appstore, you’ll have to unhide your Amazon Fire TV’s “Developer Options” menu. We’ll show you how to reveal this menu on your device so you can then use it. [Read More »]( [The Best Outdoor Solar Lights of 2022]( [The Best Outdoor Solar Lights of 2022]( Whether you want to light up your porch, garage, or yard, solar lights are incredibly convenient. They are easy to install and don’t need a power outlet. Here are our handpicked recommendations for the best outdoor solar lights. [Read More »]( SPONSORED [The Art of Writing Efficient Programs Is FREE for a Limited Time ($31.99 Value)]( Don't force your programs to run well through sheer power; design them to fly on a variety of performance profiles. In The Art of Efficient Programming, you'll learn how to write programs that properly utilize CPU and memory resources while avoiding unnecessary computations, leading to leaner, meaner applications. You'll also understand how to measure performance and implement multithreading for optimal output. [Download your free copy today to get started.]( [Is It Safe to Buy Used GPUs From Cryptocurrency Miners?]( [Is It Safe to Buy Used GPUs From Cryptocurrency Miners?]( With cryptocurrency prices dropping, the great GPU shortage may be passing. Used GPUs are flooding onto the market as Bitcoin miners try to recoup some of that cost. But is it safe to buy these cards after they’ve been sitting in a 24/7 crypto-miner for months, or maybe even years? [Read More »]( [Can You Mix and Match Mesh Network Hardware?]( [Can You Mix and Match Mesh Network Hardware?]( Mesh networks are an increasingly popular solution to the Wi-Fi demands of modern homes. You might be curious if you can mix and match different hardware devices— either different models from the same manufacturer or even devices from different manufacturers. Here’s what you need to know. [Read More »]( [The Best Horror Movies on Hulu in 2022]( [The Best Horror Movies on Hulu in 2022]( From major new releases to obscure cult classics, Hulu has horror movies for casual viewers and hardcore fans alike. Here are some of the best horror movies to stream on Hulu. [Read More »]( [Do You Need a Surge Protector for Charging Your Phone?]( [Do You Need a Surge Protector for Charging Your Phone?]( Power surges are rare but potentially devastating events. In addition to damaging large electrical appliances, your smartphone could be at risk from a power surge too. So should you buy a surge protector for charging over USB? [Read More »]( SHARE THIS COMIC: [Follow us on Facebook]( [Follow on Twitter]( [Share Link]( [Email Link]( [PrivadoVPN Review: Disrupting the Market?]( [PrivadoVPN Review: Disrupting the Market?]( PrivadoVPN is a relatively new player in the VPN market. It touts itself as being an all-around solution, offering security, privacy, and the ability to stream anything from anywhere. In this PrivadoVPN review, we’ll put these claims to the test. [Read More »]( MINDBOUNCE TRIVIA [The Audubon Society Was Originally Founded In Reaction To?]( [Excessive Taxation »]( [Pollution »]( [Women's Hats »]( [Prohibition of Alcohol »]( [The 10 Greatest Versions of Android, Ranked]( [The 10 Greatest Versions of Android, Ranked]( Android, first released in 2008, is still a relatively young operating system. However, with some years seeing multiple updates, there have been plenty of Android versions to look at. Some were better than others, so let’s rank the 10 greatest. [Read More »]( Follow Us on Social Media [Follow us on Facebook]( [Follow on Twitter]( [Follow us on LinkedIn]( [How to See What Something Is Worth Using eBay]( [How to See What Something Is Worth Using eBay]( If you’re buying or selling an item and have no idea what it’s worth, don’t worry: By checking the prices of similar sold items on eBay, you can get some idea of an item’s value. Here’s how to run a price check on eBay. [Read More »]( [What’s New in Microsoft Edge 103, Available Now]( [What’s New in Microsoft Edge 103, Available Now]( Microsoft Edge has had a mixed track record lately, adding some helpful features alongside unnecessary (or even harmful) bloat. Microsoft Edge 103 is now rolling out, and this time around, most of the focus is on gaming. [Read More »]( [Our 10 Favorite Game Deals From the Steam Summer Sale 2022]( [Our 10 Favorite Game Deals From the Steam Summer Sale 2022]( It’s that Steam Summer Sale time of year again and there are piles and piles of games on sale. From fun storylines to high replayability, here are some great titles to scoop up at a discount. The sale runs from June 23 to July 7, 2022. [Read More »]( [How to Connect AirPods to Nintendo Switch]( [How to Connect AirPods to Nintendo Switch]( Apple’s AirPods use Bluetooth to communicate with iPhones, iPads, and Macs, and you can also connect them to your Switch on the go. The ability to use wireless Bluetooth headphones with the Switch was missing from launch but has since been patched in by Nintendo. [Read More »]( [The Steam Summer Sale Is Finally Here]( [The Steam Summer Sale Is Finally Here]( Steam is the most popular store for PC games, and it usually holds a major sale event each summer. Right on schedule, this year’s Steam Summer Sale has kicked off. [Read More »]( [Google Just Upgraded File and Wi-Fi Sharing on Chromebooks]( [Google Just Upgraded File and Wi-Fi Sharing on Chromebooks]( Google has rolled out several improvements to Chromebooks recently, and now, new features for file transfer and sharing are arriving in the Chrome OS 103 update. [Read More »]( [How to Use Advanced Startup Options to Fix a Windows 11 PC]( [How to Use Advanced Startup Options to Fix a Windows 11 PC]( Everything was going well right up until it wasn’t — maybe your computer suddenly started getting blue screens of death (BSODs), Windows is unstable or won’t boot correctly, or Windows has become inexplicably bogged down. The Advanced Startup menu might have the tools you need to fix your Windows 11 PC. Here’s what you need to know. [Read More »]( You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from How-To Geek. 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