Self-Checkouts: Good or Bad? (Plus: Wi-Fi Security Camera Tips)

Did You Know?: French dip sandwiches did not, as the name might imply, originate in France, but were instead first created in Los Angeles and called French dip sandwiches because of the style of bread used. [Read in Browser]( [How-To Geek]() October 13, 2022 Did You Know? French dip sandwiches did not, as the name might imply, originate in France, but were instead first created in Los Angeles and called French dip sandwiches because of the style of bread used. 🖥 A Whole Lot of Microsoft News Happy Thursday! This jam-packed week isn’t over yet, and Microsoft has plenty to talk about. In case you missed it, we got our first look at the [Surface Pro 9](, [Surface Laptop 5](, [Audio Dock Speaker](, and [Surface Studio 2+]( yesterday. The company also has a lot of big software news — [the Office app is being renamed](, new features are [coming to the OneDrive web and desktop apps](, and the [new Microsoft Designer tool]( includes AI image generation from DALL-E 2. – Corbin TODAY'S TOP STORY [How to Get a Better Wi-Fi Signal for Security Cameras]( [How to Get a Better Wi-Fi Signal for Security Cameras]( Wireless security cameras can save you the hassle of running dedicated wiring, but they require a strong Wi-Fi signal. Here’s how to get a better signal for your cameras. [Read More »]( [7 Reasons You Should Upgrade Your Monitor Stand]( [7 Reasons You Should Upgrade Your Monitor Stand]( Your monitor probably came with a stand, but there’s a good chance it’s not quite as good as it should be to give you the best computing experience. If you’ve never considered it, there are several great reasons to upgrade. [Read More »]( STUFF WE LIKE [It Never Hurts to Have a USB-C Hub]( [It Never Hurts to Have a USB-C Hub]( Anker USB-C hubs are great if you don’t have a lot of ports to plug things in—like a [laptop](. They often come with ports for more than just USB devices, so it’s easier to use SD cards, plug in [HDMI cables](, and whatever else you may need. But perhaps most importantly, a good USB-C hub doesn’t need to close much. [Anker’s hub]( is only $35, has all of the essential ports your laptop may be missing, and even allows for passthrough charging while plugged in. For that price, it’s worth picking up and throwing in your bag for whenever you may need it! [Buy at Amazon]( $34.99 [Firefox Relay Can Give You a Burner Phone Number for Spam]( [Firefox Relay Can Give You a Burner Phone Number for Spam]( Your phone number can be as sensitive as your email, or even more so. Putting it on the internet, or sharing it with a third party in general, puts you at risk of robocalls, text messages, or even unwanted charges. Because of that, Mozilla just extended its Firefox Relay masking to phone numbers. [Read More »]( IN CASE YOU MISSED IT [You Can Convert Coax Lines to Ethernet With MoCA Adapters]( [You Can Convert Coax Lines to Ethernet With MoCA Adapters]( No Ethernet runs in your house? No problem. If you have coaxial cable, the stuff used for television connections, you can convert them to Ethernet for high-speed connectivity across your home. [Read More »]( [Get These Awesome JBL Earbuds for Under $100 Today]( [Get These Awesome JBL Earbuds for Under $100 Today]( There’s a shortlist of features all great wireless earbuds have in common: punchy bass, sustained battery life, and effective noise cancelation technology. This week, you can pick up a pair of our top-rated JBL Live Pro 2 earbuds with all these features, plus more, for less than $100. [Read More »]( [OneDrive’s New Features Are Catching Up to Google Drive]( [OneDrive’s New Features Are Catching Up to Google Drive]( OneDrive is one of the best cloud storage services around, with apps on all major platforms (except Linux) and Office app integration. During the company’s Ignite event, Microsoft revealed new features coming to OneDrive. [Read More »]( [The Steam Mobile App Is Getting an Overhaul]( [The Steam Mobile App Is Getting an Overhaul]( You might not know Steam even has a mobile app, but as it turns out, it does. Obviously, you can’t download games to your phone from there, but you can keep tabs on your Steam profile and friends. Now, though, it’s getting a little bit better with the addition of several new features. [Read More »]( [Is Overclocking Dead?]( [Is Overclocking Dead?]( Overclocking is a hallowed tradition among PC enthusiasts to get the best from their silicon. However, with advances in manufacturing and automated performance management, is there any point in overclocking your computer? If overclocking isn’t dead, who is it for? [Read More »]( [How to Stream Every ‘Halloween’ Movie in 2022]( [How to Stream Every ‘Halloween’ Movie in 2022]( You can’t kill Michael Myers, and you can’t kill the Halloween franchise, either. The horror series has been repeatedly rebooted and reimagined since the 1978 original, and it just keeps going. Here’s how to stream all of the Halloween movies. [Read More »]( [NASA Has a New Plan to Launch the Artemis 1 Moon Rocket]( [NASA Has a New Plan to Launch the Artemis 1 Moon Rocket]( Humans haven’t walked on the Moon since the end of the Apollo program 50 years ago. NASA wants to change that sometime this decade with the SLS rocket, which the agency will try launching again in just a few weeks. [Read More »]( [The Best Nikon DSLR Lenses of 2022]( [The Best Nikon DSLR Lenses of 2022]( You can’t take quality photos without a high-quality lens. Luckily, if you shoot Nikon, there are plenty of DSLR lenses available. Whether you need wide-angle glass or another type of lens, you’ll find some of the best Nikon options below. [Read More »]( LIFESAVVY [Why You Should Be Cutting Your Pumpkin Upside Down]( [Why You Should Be Cutting Your Pumpkin Upside Down]( Fall is in full swing. With Halloween quickly approaching, you might want to get into the holiday spirit by carving a pumpkin. This festive task can be a lot of fun but also messy (and a little gross) with all the pumpkin seeds you need to clean out. [Read More »]( Want to see more great content from LifeSavvy? Join the mailing list! [Sign Up for the LifeSavvy Newsletter]( LIFESAVVY [What's the Difference Between Coke Zero and Diet Coke?]( [What's the Difference Between Coke Zero and Diet Coke?]( Love Coca‑Cola, but prefer to opt for a zero-calorie, sugar-free option? Then you’ve probably reached for Coke Zero or Diet Coke. Both are great alternatives to the original Coca-Cola, but what is the difference between the two? [Read More »]( REVIEW GEEK [Mophie snap+ 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand Review: Almost a Triple Threat]( [Mophie snap+ 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand Review: Almost a Triple Threat]( Using a cable to charge is still the go-to for most people, but wireless charging stands like the Mophie snap+ make a compelling case for the move to a more modern solution. With the ability to charge a phone, earbuds, and a smartwatch at the same time, the value proposition is clear. [Read More »]( [Microsoft and Post-it Notes Team Up to Digitize Whiteboards]( [Microsoft and Post-it Notes Team Up to Digitize Whiteboards]( Post-it Notes are the stuff of passive-aggressive dreams, sprawled out on work whiteboards as part of some overly elaborate plan, or a reminder to do something you don’t want to do, which is why you wrote it on a Post-it Note. Microsoft has now incorporated the curly, sticky squares into its Teams app. [Read More »]( SHARE THIS COMIC: [Follow us on Facebook]( [Follow on Twitter]( [Share Link]( [Email Link]( [Sorry, AI Art, Your Algorithm Can’t Replace Human Creativity]( [Sorry, AI Art, Your Algorithm Can’t Replace Human Creativity]( AI tools like DALL-E 2 make it easy for anyone to create art with a click. While this movement may conjure up old fears of robots taking over the world, some things, like human creativity, are immune to the machine. [Read More »]( MINDBOUNCE TRIVIA [Which Video Game Required You To Kill The Lead Developer To Win?]( [Half-Life »]( [Doom II »]( [Wolfenstein »]( [Quake »]( [Self-Checkout Is Great, Actually]( [Self-Checkout Is Great, Actually]( We live at a time where you can walk into a store, grab some items, and pay without ever interacting with another human. Despite how awesome that sounds, self-checkout has its haters. Let me tell you why it’s great. [Read More »]( Follow Us on Social Media [Follow us on Facebook]( [Follow on Twitter]( [Follow us on LinkedIn]( [Self-Checkouts: A Big Experiment Gone Wrong?]( [Self-Checkouts: A Big Experiment Gone Wrong?]( It’s always a bit humiliating when you’re the guy at the self-checkout whose screen freezes up and starts flashing, prompting the attendant to come over and free you like you’re the kid whose bumper car broke. [Read More »]( [Philips Hue Play Gradient LightStrip Review: Brilliant Lighting at a High Cost]( [Philips Hue Play Gradient LightStrip Review: Brilliant Lighting at a High Cost]( RGB lighting gets an upgrade as part of the Philips Hue line with the easy-to-install Philips Hue Play Gradient LightStrip. Paired with the Hue Bridge, you have complete control over gradient lighting to set a scene that matches your aesthetic if you don’t mind the price tag and yet another wire. [Read More »]( [Microsoft Made a Desk Speaker That’s Also a USB Type-C Hub]( [Microsoft Made a Desk Speaker That’s Also a USB Type-C Hub]( Desktop clutter can quickly get out of control once you start adding peripherals, such as a dock, a camera, or a speaker. But if you’re all about that clean look, the new Microsoft Audio Dock Speaker might be just for you. [Read More »]( Our Readers' Favorite Products This Week [Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen, 2021 release)]( [Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen, 2021 release)]( If you're looking for a smart display, you'll have a hard time finding a better deal than this one. [Shop Now]( $39.99 [2021 Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen)]( [2021 Apple iPad 10.2" (9th Gen)]( Save some money and get the same great iPad experience with Apple's cheapest, entry-level tablet. [Shop Now]( $299.00 [Roku Express 4K+ (2021)]( [Roku Express 4K+ (2021)]( Roku has been the king of streaming devices for a while, and it's easy to see why. For the same price as a night for two at the movies, you can get 4K streaming... [Shop Now]( $24.99 [Hisense 65U7G]( [Hisense 65U7G]( Hisense sells some of the best budget TVs, and the 65U7G is an excellent example of that. It shines in pretty much everything from movie watching to playing gam... [Shop Now]( $1098.99 [Amazon Fire 7]( [Amazon Fire 7]( Pre-order the newly-updated Amazon Fire 7 and Fire 7 Kids tablets today! [Shop Now]( $59.99 [The Microsoft Office App Is Getting a New Name and Logo]( [The Microsoft Office App Is Getting a New Name and Logo]( The term “Microsoft Office” generally refers to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other apps in the Office suite, but there’s also a unified “Office” app used for organization and managing other apps. Microsoft just announced that the Office app and website will have a new name and logo. [Read More »]( [The Best AI Image Generators You Can Use Right Now]( [The Best AI Image Generators You Can Use Right Now]( AI image generators like DALL-E 2 and Midjourney have suddenly burst into mainstream consciousness. More of these tools seem to be popping up all the time, but they aren’t always available to the public. Here are the ones you can use right now—today. [Read More »]( [Microsoft Edge Now Has Real-Time Browser Tab Sharing]( [Microsoft Edge Now Has Real-Time Browser Tab Sharing]( Microsoft has been cramming its Edge web browser with new features at a rapid rate, to the point where the browser often feels too bloated and complex. However, one feature on the way sounds incredibly useful: Edge Workspaces. [Read More »]( [With the 2022 Update, Windows 11 Is Finally Worth an Upgrade]( [With the 2022 Update, Windows 11 Is Finally Worth an Upgrade]( A mixture of tough hardware requirements, some unpopular changes to the user interface, and a general feeling of “Why bother?” have resulted in poor adoption rates for Windows 11. However, Windows 11’s 2022 update goes a long way to alleviating a lot of those gripes. [Read More »]( [More Apple Services Are Coming to Windows PCs]( [More Apple Services Are Coming to Windows PCs]( Apple has many services under its umbrella, but most of them don’t work well (or at all) with non-Apple devices. That has gradually started to change over the past few years, and now more of them are coming to Windows PCs. [Read More »]( [Can a Magnet Really Damage My Phone or Computer?]( [Can a Magnet Really Damage My Phone or Computer?]( There’s a long-standing belief that magnets are dangerous to have around electronics, but can they really damage your phone or computer? [Read More »]( [Prime Day Two Brings Big Discounts From Samsung, SanDisk, Razer, and More]( [Prime Day Two Brings Big Discounts From Samsung, SanDisk, Razer, and More]( Welcome to day two of Amazon’s Prime Day sales event! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our massive Prime Day roundup for all the latest discounts and deals. Otherwise, we’ve handpicked some of the best items and tossed them below for your buying pleasure. [Read More »]( Everything Else [How to Find Unread Emails in Gmail]( [How to Find Unread Emails in Gmail]( [How to Close an Apple Watch App]( [How to Close an Apple Watch App]( [How to Lock Column Width and Row Height in Microsoft Excel]( [How to Lock Column Width and Row Height in Microsoft Excel]( [How to Remove Your Windows 10 Password]( [How to Remove Your Windows 10 Password]( You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from How-To Geek. [Click here to change your preferences or unsubscribe.]( How-To Geek, 21010 Southbank St., #4015 Sterling, VA 20165